Chennai airport remote installations lack fire warning system

Chennai: Lack of adequate staff to operate newly installed instruments and absence of fire warning system in remote installations were some of the important issues pointed out by the safety audit team during the recently concluded safety audit at the Chennai airport.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said the annual safety audit was conducted by the Aviation Safety Directorate of AAI. The five-day audit began on June 19.
AAI sources said in the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) department when a new facility is introduced, adequate manpower is not posted to handle it. Instead maintenance staff from the existing departments are posted to handle the new equipment also.
Apart from creating additional burden on the staff, the move poses a danger to the safety of the CNS system. The new radar at Porur, the Advanced Surface Movement Ground Control System and automation of Air Traffic Management (ATM) and CNS were some of the new facilities that were added to the Chennai airport, the sources said. Talking about the Fire Services Department of the airport, the sources said the remote installations of CNS and ATM have to immediately alert the fire station at the airport.
02/07/10 P Oppili/The Hindu

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Categories: Airports Jul 2010