Sunday, October 13, 2019

Air traffic can be smooth even under high pressure

Chennai: For an airport that handles around 450 flights a day, or 25 to 30 movements per hour, the arrival and departure of two VVIP flights and helicopters within a span of 24 hours did not create much of a disruption to the daily schedule on Friday and Saturday.
The city airport seems to have equipped itself with facilities on a par with Delhi airport which records at least one VIP movement every other day.
Comprehensive planning, meetings with airlines and groundhandlers, following a standard operating procedure to a tee, and a cautionary notam (notice to airmen) which alerts pilots to carry extra fuel made it happen.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials were confident about the planning and did not advise airlines to reschedule flights. They just told them to watch out. Take-offs were cleared even as Chinese President Xi Jinping was being received on the apron.
Airport director S Sreekumar cited three reasons for smooth handling of the VVIPs flights with no delay in arrival or departure of flights in the domestic sector.
The first was planning by AAI officials. A week ago, senior officials met the airline operators on how to allow VVIP movement without affecting the flights in the domestic sector.
The second was the time slot chosen by the VVIPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, for landing at and departing from Chennai airport. It was between 1pm and 2.30pm. This period is a lean time as far as the city airport is concerned. There are not many arrivals or departures in the domestic as well as the international sector, Sreekumar said.
13/10/19 P Oppili/Times of India
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