According to the experts, while the major airports struggle to meet the expanding traffic, the airlines using questionable means to project better on-time performance (OTP) than rivals is making matters worse. In a survey, Airport Authority of India (AAI) found out that a considerable number of flights reach a metro airport ahead of their time.
This means that these flights arrive at the airport when they are not supposed to. As a result of which, the other flights which are scheduled to reach at that time get affected, and are then asked by the air traffic controllers (ATC) to make a go around, thereby delaying their landing.
The OTP of an airline refers to how frequently its flights took off and landed within scheduled time. It, therefore, becomes an important marketing tool for airlines to attract the passengers, assuring them that they will reach their destination on time. It also assures the financiers and other stakeholders that the airline is using its assets optimally. The airlines, in order to improve on their OTPs, are reportedly even exploiting the loopholes in the system. For example, "Some of our rival airlines are known to even give a timing pushback to the aircraft, even before the door is closed, just to meet the OTP. This is not allowed," said a senior executive from a full-service carrier.
However, rivalries and competition aside, many airline executives and aviation experts believe that the OTP measuring mechanism is flawed, and there is a need for bringing in a better one. For example, the OTP may get affected based on the number of flights an airline fly, destination to which it flies, the weather conditions especially fog, runway repair work, labour unrest, etc.
05/02/19 Shahkar Abidi/DNA
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This means that these flights arrive at the airport when they are not supposed to. As a result of which, the other flights which are scheduled to reach at that time get affected, and are then asked by the air traffic controllers (ATC) to make a go around, thereby delaying their landing.
The OTP of an airline refers to how frequently its flights took off and landed within scheduled time. It, therefore, becomes an important marketing tool for airlines to attract the passengers, assuring them that they will reach their destination on time. It also assures the financiers and other stakeholders that the airline is using its assets optimally. The airlines, in order to improve on their OTPs, are reportedly even exploiting the loopholes in the system. For example, "Some of our rival airlines are known to even give a timing pushback to the aircraft, even before the door is closed, just to meet the OTP. This is not allowed," said a senior executive from a full-service carrier.
However, rivalries and competition aside, many airline executives and aviation experts believe that the OTP measuring mechanism is flawed, and there is a need for bringing in a better one. For example, the OTP may get affected based on the number of flights an airline fly, destination to which it flies, the weather conditions especially fog, runway repair work, labour unrest, etc.
05/02/19 Shahkar Abidi/DNA
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