[Buchstabensalat]

The article doesn't mention why there can't be parallel takeoffs. Does anyone know why? Looking at the airport on Google Maps it appears there's quite some space between the runways. Perhaps the required flight paths after takeoff intersect?

[N19PEDL2]

According to the International Civil Aviation Organization, parallel simultaneous takeoffs are allowed only when the distance between the runways is at least 760 m, a suitable radar is available and the flight paths diverge at least by 15° after departure.[0] Probably at least one of these requisites was not fulfilled in this case.

[0] https://www.icao.int/Meetings/AMC/MA/Eleventh%20Air%20Naviga... pp. A-24 and A-25.

[NovemberWhiskey]

From what I have read, the problem here was that there are two separate tower controllers for the north and south runways; there was a shift change and some kind of confusion over which of the runways was actually operational. The result was that the two tower controllers were not coordinating traffic at all.

EDIT: Kempegowda International Airport is the main airport serving Bangalore, by the way - I noticed the article assumed the reader knows that, and it's probably not general knowledge for the HN audience.

[phkahler]

>> The article doesn't mention why there can't be parallel takeoffs.

Another commenter here said both runways use a left traffic pattern, so both aircraft will turn left after takeoff rather than each turning away from the other. That was curious to me as well, but it's also not pertinent to the incident because one was closed at the time.

[mmaunder]

See my comment about parallel runway traffic patterns at this airport.