Jitters at Calcutta airport as Agni II launch triggers traffic jam

Calcutta: A missile test off the Orissa coast had triggered an unprecedented traffic snarl in the Calcutta skies three days ago, leaving the control room at the city airport battling the threat of mid-air collisions with almost primitive equipment.
Thirteen out of 60-odd air routes under the “Calcutta flight information region” and some more under Chennai were closed for scientists to test-fire an upgraded version of the Agni II nuclear-capable intermediate range ballistic last Friday, forcing 150 overflying aircraft to be diverted through the other channels.
The result was overcrowding of the scale that air traffic control staff had never handled before, according to a senior official.
“The air routes over Calcutta looked like any thoroughfare in the city during rush hour. Those in the control room had a harrowing time handling more than 250 flights between 7.30am and 10.30am with 13 routes closed. Worse still, they were made responsible for the safety of thousands of fliers without the requisite upgraded equipment that any modern airport must have,” the official added.
So how did air traffic control avert a disaster with around 3,000km of airspace being closed to traffic for three hours? “Aircraft that generally fly at an altitude of 37,000 feet were asked to come down to 19,000 feet to avoid a mid-air collision. Air traffic control personnel were constantly juggling the routes to guide overflying aircraft as well as those taking off and landing at the Calcutta airport,” the official said.
14/12/10 Sanjay Mandal/The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Dec 2010, Safety Dec 2010