'Critical need to prioritise modernisation': Air traffic managers raise red flag after IGIA ATC glitch

NEW DELHI: The Air Traffic Safety Electronic Personnel Association (ATSEPA)-India has urged aviation authorities to undertake “immediate Communications, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) modernisation across major airports, with priority funding” and that Airports Authority of India (AAI) be directed to “incorporate CNS engineers’ recommendations while procuring or upgrading operational systems.” The association, which represents Air Traffic Management (ATM) professionals in the country, says there is a “critical need to prioritise CNS modernisation and correct systemic imbalances in ATM.”

Referring to the recent shutdown of “automatic message switching system” (AMSS) in Delhi air traffic control (ATC) which is used used by airlines to file flight plans, the association’s office bearer Yogendra Gautam has written to aviation minister, secretary and AAI. The crisis originated from “outdated systems such as AMSS that lack redundancy and modern capability.”

“The recent operational disruptions at Delhi Airport have once again highlighted a long-standing and serious concern repeatedly raised by ATSEPA (INDIA): the neglect of CNS infrastructure and the continuous sidelining of technical inputs provided by CNS engineers to AAI leadership. Despite early warnings, proposals, and continuous representations, CNS system upgradation, redundancy creation, and proper deployment of trained engineers have not been taken up with the urgency required for a 24×7 essential aviation service,” the communication says.

Air traffic controllers also blame AAI’s laggardly upgrade of system. AAI has so far failed to ensure that ATC upgradation, along with hiring of more controllers, keeps pace with growth of air traffic in the country. For years there has been talk of hiving off air navigation services from AAI as a separate unit to ensure ATC gets the attention it deserves. But there has been no progress on that front.

The Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild of India had this July warned that “current systems, especially at major airports like Delhi & Mumbai, have experienced performance degradation, including slowness and system lag, directly impacting operational efficiency and safety margins.” Days after AI 171 crash, the Guild had written to MPs on July 8 that it was “imperative that automation systems used in air navigation services (be) periodically reviewed and upgraded to meet future demands” given the “rapid growth in air traffic and increasing operational complexity.” The Guild’s letter to MPs was aimed at bringing “some very critical issues that need to be resolved urgently in view of safe(ty)… These issues are taken up with various officials in the higher management of AAl, but unfortunately (are) lying unresolved till date….”.