War over Delhi skies

The air-space over the capital is one of the most highly protected, but a turf war between the very people who keep the skies safe -- Airports Authority of India (AAI)and Indian Air Force IAF) is potentially putting the lives of air passengers at risk.
The ongoing fight for the skies, between the Indian Air Force, and Delhi Air Traffic control is basically a 'fight' over controlling how aircrafts flying over Delhi airspace. What the authorities have forgotten or failed to realise while they argue over the issue, is that there are hundreds of passengers' lives at stake.
Normally, aircrafts over Delhi are told where to go and what to do by civilian Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs), but in the skies over Delhi, Air Force controllers have allegedly issued instructions to passenger aircrafts without Delhi airport having a clue. This is where the trouble started.
The Airports Authority of India sent a letter to the Air Force, telling them to stop interfering.
In the letter - a copy of which is with TIMES NOW - the AAI further alleged that because of Air Force interference, a collision was narrowly averted as the Air Force went ahead and issued instructions to an aircraft without telling Delhi ATC about it.
On December 29, 2007, Kras Air flight 1913 scheduled to land at Delhi airport was told by IAF control to fly in circles above the capital, Delhi ATC was not told about this.
Similarly on January 14, 2008, the same Kras Air Flight 1913 was told to circle the skies, something that Delhi ATC was kept in the dark about. Civil controllers noticed that Air France flight 256 was headed for a collision with another aircraft and in the nick of time, emergency evasive manuevers had to be performed.
25/06/08 Times Now.tv

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Categories: Airports Jun 2008, Safety Jun 2008