ATC officers caught in turbulent weather

New Delhi: India’s airports are getting swankier by the day, but time stands still at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) offices across the country.
The ATC officers, who guide the landing and takeoff of aircraft, are badly understaffed and fatigued. And, so, the increasing incidents of near-collisions in the air should not come as a surprise.
There are 2,000 ATC officers in the country and there is a requirement for 800 more. Unlike their counterparts in the US and Europe, the ATC officers have to work seven days a week in a six-hour shift a day. They also have to do overtime for around 60 hours. “We work all seven days a week and do not get an off,” said an ATC official, who did not want to be identified.
“We also have to do overtime for around 60 hours a month and the payment for it is just 20 per cent of our normal wage,” added the official.
ATC officers in the US and Europe work for fixed 200 hours a month and they also get off days. An ATC officer’s job requires 100 per cent concentration and a break after every one-and-a-half hours. We do not get time to take a break during our shifts, which leads to fatigue and near misses in the air,” said another ATC source.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) accepts the deficiency and says it is trying to address it. To bridge the deficit, AAI had decided to hire 400 retired ATC officers from the air force. But that has not yet happened.
27/04/10 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Categories: Airports Apr 2010