After 26/11 terror attacks, the civil aviation ministry was flooded with requests to include more air spaces as “no-fly zones”. But the DGCA is in no mood to make more no-fly zones.
After 26/11 terror attacks, the civil aviation ministry was flooded with requests from state governments and union ministries to include several important air spaces on the list of “no-fly zones”. But the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is in no mood to make more no-fly zones in the country. Not at least for the time being.
“The ministry had got requests for making places like oil refineries, temples, army bases and several government buildings, no-fly zones. But this could not be done because the DGCA did not give permissions,” said a senior ministry official on condition of anonymity.
The ministry had received requests asking permission to make air space over places, such as Akshardham temple, a no-fly zone for all type commercial air movements. The IAF had requested for a no-fly-zone status to some areas under its control and the ministry of petroleum had made similar request for oil refineries in different parts of the country.
The requests were forwarded to the DGCA, the apex aviation body in the country to impose flying restrictions, but they were turned down. DGCA sources said the requests were rejected because imposing restrictions in those places was neither viable nor necessary.
“There is no need to ‘complexify’ air space and air routes by making more no-fly zones. Because this will make things difficult for air traffic,” said a DGCA official. All nuclear plants, several air and naval bases and government buildings in various cities are no-fly zones. After the Mumbai terror attack, the DGCA made Kalpakkam nuclear plant a no-fly zone.
DGCA officials told DNA that any new addition of no-fly zones would cause a great deal of trouble for commercial air traffic.
“The first thing will be massive reworking of the air routes which have been loaded in the systems of all the aircraft using the airspace and this is a long exercise,” said the official. India’s total airspace is about 10.5 lakh square nautical miles and its 60% is under military control while rest of airspace is for civil use.
In Delhi, a large air space over PM residence, Parliament House, President House, US embassy is no-fly zone. The DGCA has divided two types of flying restrictions in Indian air space.
“The first category is of no-fly zone in which no aircraft is allowed to fly and the second category is of the restricted fly zone where aircraft is permitted to fly only after getting clearances from the DGCA,” said the official.
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