New ATC system trial in Mumbai airport from May

New Delhi: Air traffic controllers are unhappy at the decision to go in for a trial run of Auto Track Three, a hi-tech system which it is claimed would help improve air traffic management, at the Mumbai airport in May.

The system is already operational at Delhi airport and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is keen that it becomes functional at the Mumbai airport also. Confirming the trial of the new system, an AAI spokesperson said: "It is happening as per the decided schedule of the operations wing of the AAI. The trial had been happening in the past too."
But news of Auto Track Three trial has been greeted with dismay by the air traffic controllers in Mumbai because of the timing. "In the next three months, the Mumbai weather is certainly not the best time to conduct trial or switch over to a new system. In such weather conditions, rain and cloud formation is so fierce that an aircraft often goes beyond from its intended flight track," said an ATC official posted in Mumbai.
The system is used by the ATCs to facilitate take off and landing of aircraft and also streamline the flow of aircraft movement overflying the airport. Mumbai airport handles over 700 air movements every day. AAI has been carrying out trials of the new system for the past two years. "In the earlier trials, there were several technical faults and the manufacturer was informed about them. We hope the faults have been corrected to expand its operational abilities," said another ATC official.
22/04/11 Yogesh Kumar/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Apr 2011