Calcutta airport officials warn of disaster waiting to happen

Calcutta: Calcutta airport flirts with danger every day by persisting with a dated communication, navigation and surveillance system, according to officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
“It ranks among the airports where aviation safety is being compromised the most. Equipment hasn’t been upgraded and, in some cases, machinery of inferior quality has been procured,” said P.S. Tevethia, the general secretary of the Airports Authority Officers’ Association.
The lapses have been listed in a memorandum to the AAI chairman, K. Ramalingam. Copies have been sent to the President, Prime Minister and the civil aviation minister.
Two pieces of equipment need to be replaced immediately — the one that measures the exact distance of an aircraft from the airport and a high-frequency Doppler device that guides the pilot. “These were installed in 1991 and, going by the AAI manual, should have been replaced by 2001. But the old machinery continues to be in use, causing problems,” an airport official said.
A new DVOR (Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range) device had been purchased for Calcutta airport but not installed.
A VHF (very high frequency) transmitter and receiver were imported from the UK but the antenna purchased in India was allegedly of dubious quality, leading to “synchronisation” problems.
A new Instrument Landing System has been installed on the primary runway but not commissioned yet.
The Direct Satellite Communication Network project that is meant to ensure faster and better communication between Calcutta and other airports has been delayed, too.
03/12/08 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, Safety Dec 2008