Airlines find navigation key to cut fuel cost

Mumbai: Airlines flying to and from Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad airports have saved at least Rs25 crore worth of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in the past year thanks to the performance-based navigation system. DNA had reported the launch of the system at Mumbai airport in September 2008.
"With the introduction of PBNS, airlines are not dependent on the ground-based navigation system," said a senior air traffic control (ATC) official in Mumbai. "The ground-based system has many inherent errors. As the aircraft moves away from the facility, the chances of errors increase."
Under the navigation system, incoming and outgoing routes for aircraft on the Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad sectors are separated. This allows the ATC to handle 15% more flights on these routes. Earlier, incoming and outgoing routes on this sector used to merge after a few nautical miles, causing congestion.
Moreover, the system helps the pilot to know the exact time of the journey even before takeoff. "The pilot can calculate the amount of fuel needed and not carry extra fuel," the official said.
16/09/09 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2009, New Sep 2009