India has 5 tabletop runways with little space for last-minute manoeuvre

Tabletop runways are at Kozhikode, Mangalore (Karnakata), Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) and Pakyong (Sikkim)

Constructed on elevated terrains and mostly having little space for last-minute maneuver, tabletop runways at times pose challenges for pilots while landing their aircraft. And Air India Express planes have crashed at least twice on such runways in little over a decade.

At least five airports, including at Kozhikode where an Air India Express aircraft crashed on Friday, have tabletop runways.

Tabletop runways are constructed on hilly or elevated terrains. Also, there could be low lying areas adjacent to such runways and there could be gorges at the end of such runways.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Arvind Singh