New system to ease air traffic congestion on the cards

Mumbai: The Airports Authority India plans to implement a system that could ease the congestion in the skies. The AAI plans to introduce Standard Instrument Departure or SID and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes or STAR—which is being followed at several international airports — before the end of 2008. The new system would enable airlines to take an available shorter route for departure and arrival in case there is congestion in the designated route, according to Mr M.G. Junghare, Head of Air Traffic Control (Western Region).
Currently, all major airports in the country are facing acute problems on account of inadequate infrastructure leading to air traffic congestion. This, in turn, leads to airlines burning precious fuel, putting added pressure on their operating costs.
A two-hour journey between Mumbai and Delhi can stretch indefinitely as the aircraft awaits clearance from ATC for landing. Similarly, incidents of aircraft waiting for long time before take off are also frequent at the airports, especially Mumbai and Delhi.
A senior pilot from a private carrier told Business Line that a narrow body aircraft wastes $4,500 worth of fuel for every hour that it hovers around in the sky. A wide body aircraft wastes about $6,000 worth of fuel for the same period that it is hauled up before landing.
“The move to implement SID and STAR will help the airlines save Rs 25,000 on aviation turbine fuel or ATF per 52 nautical miles,” Mr Junghare told a conference organised by Mumbai International Airport on the occasion of World Environment Day.
06/06/08 Shubhra Tandon/Business Line

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Categories: Airports Jun 2008, New Jun 2008