ATCs shortage peaks in Chennai airport

Chennai: Air traffic controllers (ATCs) demand a fair deal from the Airports Authority of India as most of the control rooms in the country face acute staff shortage. As air traffic is increasing by the day, control rooms create stress and strain, especially coordination of air traffic movements based on ATC rooms in a radar-based navigation system.
The Chennai ATC is surviving with a staff strength of 140, while the need is for 240 ATCs. “Currently, we manage four different shifts with available officers and we have to stay in the hotline for several hours continuously. As the functional radars in Chennai are not dependable, we have to be careful so as to not miss a single aircraft movement in the southern region,” said an official.
“It is high time the vacancies are filled as aircraft movement in the designated airspace is increasing day by day and it has to be controlled and coordinated every second. It is the responsibility of the management to maintain a safe work environment without any stress and strain for the ATCs ,” says a senior ATC official.
20/07/10 Deccan Chronicle

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Categories: Airports Jul 2010