Airport ground watch gadget lying unused

Mumbai: AT the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, a ground surveillance aid—the airport surface detection equipment (ASDE)—has been lying unutilised for the last three years.
Part of the $100 million modernisation programme of air traffic control services by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 1999, the ASDE is a high resolution system which provides a clear and accurate presentation of the airport’s ground operational areas and detects all stationary or moving aircraft or vehicles in real time.
This means that an air traffic controller has a bird’s-eye view of the entire airfield and all movement—from aircraft and passenger coaches to ground handling equipment like stepladders, catering vehicles etc. Particularly effective during periods of reduced visibility, the ASDE is also able to warn of potential runway and taxiway conflicts i.e. it can determine whether or not a runway is clear for the next departure or arrival.
28/03/07 Lekha Agarwal/Mumbai Newsline

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Categories: Airports Mar 2007, Safety Mar 2007