Mumbai: Authorities at India's oldest civil aviation airport in Juhu are a worried lot. Reason? Even a small malfunctioning in air navigation equipment installed at the airport may bring the entire operation to a standstill as three CNS (Communication, Navigation and Surveillance) staffers mandated with development and repair of those equipment have been transferred without any replacement so far. The three staffers used to do the work of seven, which is the sanctioned strength of the CNS wing of the airport.
According to aviation experts, the business of Centre-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) might be affected by this move as ONGC uses Juhu airport for its helicopter operations meant for ferrying staffers and others to its oil exploration activities in Bombay High fields in the Arabian Sea. The Bombay High basin is ONGC's flagship oil producing asset. According to industry estimate, ONGC's assets in the region currently produce 16 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of crude oil, which is nearly 40% of India's total crude oil production. ONGC officials could not be immediately contacted for comments.
However, senior officials at the Airport Authority of India (AAI) are of the view that CNS staffers from nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) can be summoned to Juhu airport in case of any malfunctioning. CSIA and Juhu airport are situated at a distance of about 3km from each other by road. Juhu airport handled around 100 aircraft movement on average in a single day. "It can be managed by the existing staff at CSIA," said a senior AAI official.
04/07/16 Shahkar Abidi/DNA
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According to aviation experts, the business of Centre-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) might be affected by this move as ONGC uses Juhu airport for its helicopter operations meant for ferrying staffers and others to its oil exploration activities in Bombay High fields in the Arabian Sea. The Bombay High basin is ONGC's flagship oil producing asset. According to industry estimate, ONGC's assets in the region currently produce 16 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of crude oil, which is nearly 40% of India's total crude oil production. ONGC officials could not be immediately contacted for comments.
However, senior officials at the Airport Authority of India (AAI) are of the view that CNS staffers from nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) can be summoned to Juhu airport in case of any malfunctioning. CSIA and Juhu airport are situated at a distance of about 3km from each other by road. Juhu airport handled around 100 aircraft movement on average in a single day. "It can be managed by the existing staff at CSIA," said a senior AAI official.
04/07/16 Shahkar Abidi/DNA
