Quixplained graphic: What are tabletop runways?

Kozhikode Air India plane crash has put the focus on tabletop runways again. Tabletop runways are generally constructed by chopping off the top of a hill, and are often thought of as tricky for landings because of the lack of any margin for overshooting the runway.

By: Explained Desk
New Delhi | Updated: August 11, 2020 11:53 AM IST

1 min read

Friday’s plane crash at Kozhikode in Kerala involving an Air India Express flight with 190 people on board is the first major accident since the 2010 crash at Mangaluru airport.

Friday’s plane crash at Kozhikode in Kerala involving an Air India Express flight with 190 people on board is the first major accident since the 2010 crash at Mangaluru airport. The Air India Express-operated Boeing 737-800 aircraft overshot Kozhikode airport’s runway — a tabletop runway like Mangaluru’s — and fell 35 feet down a slope, resulting in the aircraft splitting into two. Kozhikode’s runway is surrounded by deep gorges on both sides.

Tabletop runways are generally constructed by chopping off the top of a hill, and are often thought of as tricky for landings because of the lack of any margin for overshooting the runway. According to pilots, landing on tabletop runways requires precision approach with little to no room for errors.