Juhu airport is set to become the first in the country to have the latest technology that will enhance the safety and efficiency of aircraft operations. Officials said the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) will be installed at the airport next month by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). A similar system is operational in the US and Canada.
Airport sources said the technology, which has been developed mainly for helicopters, will automatically send audio messages on weather updates directly to the pilot every minute.
Conversely, the pilot can also choose to receive this information every two or three minutes. Presently, all such details are given manually by the IMD to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) every 30 minutes. The ATC then passes it on to the pilot.
28/04/13 Daily News & Analysis
