Indian skies are fast becoming among the most dangerous in the world. Ten bird hits and at least two air misses are being reported every month.
DGCA warns skies are not safe, calls for urgent action
NEW DELHI: Indian skies are fast becoming among the most dangerous in the world. Ten bird hits and at least two air misses are being reported every month.
Airports handle around 60,000 flights every month — so one in 5,000 flights faces one of the two dangers.
“This is unacceptable. It should be of great concern to everyone,” says an aviation official.
In 2007, 18 air misses were reported by September-end. This figure would go up in the coming two winter months, officials say.
And the busiest eight airports together reported 89 bird hits during the same period. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation recently presented a report on the situation to the civil aviation top brass.
For aviation experts the increasing numbers of air misses are, undoubtedly, a matter of great concern.
“Instances of increasing air misses and bird hits needs to be addressed seriously between the airlines and the government” says Kapil Kaul, an aviation expert.
The DGCA officials claim that every air miss or near miss is taken very seriously.
“Every air miss is a lesson for us to evolve ways and means to make sure it doesn’t recur. Each air miss is studied in details and the experts pinpoint exactly what went wrong and who erred, the man or the machine,” said a DGCA official who did not wished to be named.
In each case of an air miss, experts question the pilots and the air traffic controllers separately and also extensively analyse the transcripts of the conversations between the ATC and the pilot.
According to Kaul, air traffic has increased exponentially but not the induction of trained air traffic controllers.
“The massive growth in air traffic is straining the air traffic controllers. The AAI might start simultaneous runway or cross-runway operations to tackle congestion in airports like Mumbai and Delhi. But the AAI must also start massive recruitments of air traffic controllers. Given the pace of growth we have in aviation I think the air traffic control will be a big handicap,” he says.
On the bird hit front, the DGCA report says that by September-end this year Delhi airport recorded maximum number — 22.
People like Kaul blame the burgeoning slums and other habitations around airports for the increase in the number of bird hits. Birds are attracted by the refuse generated.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}