New Delhi: A two-member team from UN's aviation agency has begun examining the "regulatory framework" of India's air traffic control (ATC). The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was in Chennai on Wednesday and head to Kolkata next to examine ATC's oversight, before submitting a preliminary report on Friday. The Montreal-based agency's concern stems from the fact that Airports Authority of India (AAI), the parent body of ATC, will be issuing licences to air traffic controllers (ATCO) and not the aviation regulator DGCA.
"The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues licences to pilots and then the latter are eligible to fly planes for airlines. AAI issuing licences to ATCOs is akin to airlines issuing licences to their pilots and not the DGCA. This is the cause of concern for ICAO," said sources.
A top ATC official, however, said the UN agency is "very pleased with the progress India has made in terms of hiring ATCOs in recent past and given us a pat on the back". During the last ICAO audit of India in 2015, the UN agency had raised concern over the shortage of ATCOs.
"At that time, we were short by about 700 to 800 controllers. Since then we have hired 1,200 controllers and currently have 3,071 controllers, adequate for the current requirement. In addition, 67 ATCOs have been given offer letters who will be joining us shortly," the senior ATC official had recently said.
What the ICAO team says in its preliminary report on Friday remains to be seen.
It decided to send the team here after auditing Indian aviation last November to closely inspect whether the requirement for oversight of ATCOs is being met here. The audit was carried out in areas of personnel licensing, airworthiness, operations, legislation and organisation of aviation agencies here.
17/01/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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"The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues licences to pilots and then the latter are eligible to fly planes for airlines. AAI issuing licences to ATCOs is akin to airlines issuing licences to their pilots and not the DGCA. This is the cause of concern for ICAO," said sources.
A top ATC official, however, said the UN agency is "very pleased with the progress India has made in terms of hiring ATCOs in recent past and given us a pat on the back". During the last ICAO audit of India in 2015, the UN agency had raised concern over the shortage of ATCOs.
"At that time, we were short by about 700 to 800 controllers. Since then we have hired 1,200 controllers and currently have 3,071 controllers, adequate for the current requirement. In addition, 67 ATCOs have been given offer letters who will be joining us shortly," the senior ATC official had recently said.
What the ICAO team says in its preliminary report on Friday remains to be seen.
It decided to send the team here after auditing Indian aviation last November to closely inspect whether the requirement for oversight of ATCOs is being met here. The audit was carried out in areas of personnel licensing, airworthiness, operations, legislation and organisation of aviation agencies here.
17/01/18 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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