With sky lanterns increasingly getting popular among Mumbaikars, it has become a cause of serious concern for air traffic controllers at the airport.
The Mumbai branch of Air Traffic Control (ATC) department, which is responsible for civil aviation navigation, has recently written to its headquarters in Delhi highlighting the growing hazard of sky lanterns in the flight path of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). It feels that if the situation is allowed to remain unchecked, then it could lead to accidents. "Sky lanterns are increasingly becoming a cause of concern for us. So, we have intimated our headquarters about it," said a top ATC official.
The Air Traffic management (ATM) officials at the Delhi headquarters were not available for comment.
As per the Indian aviation rules, flying instruments like paragliders, hot balloons, drones, sky lanterns, etc. are not allowed in the approach path of airport's runway, which is approximately about 15.5 degrees on each side of the centre of runway and up to an altitude of around 2,700 feet.
04/06/15 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis
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The Mumbai branch of Air Traffic Control (ATC) department, which is responsible for civil aviation navigation, has recently written to its headquarters in Delhi highlighting the growing hazard of sky lanterns in the flight path of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). It feels that if the situation is allowed to remain unchecked, then it could lead to accidents. "Sky lanterns are increasingly becoming a cause of concern for us. So, we have intimated our headquarters about it," said a top ATC official.
The Air Traffic management (ATM) officials at the Delhi headquarters were not available for comment.
As per the Indian aviation rules, flying instruments like paragliders, hot balloons, drones, sky lanterns, etc. are not allowed in the approach path of airport's runway, which is approximately about 15.5 degrees on each side of the centre of runway and up to an altitude of around 2,700 feet.
04/06/15 Shahkar Abidi/Daily News & Analysis
