Integrate civil, military ATC, suggests Lahoti
- Rediff on the Net
The Justice R C Lahoti court of inquiry, which probed the Charkhi Dadri
mid-air collision in November that killed 349 people, has recommended that the
government integrate civil and military air traffic controls for greater safety.
The court of inquiry, which was set up soon after the November 12 tragedy
involving Saudi and Kazakh airliners, felt the government should introduce a
scheme of licensing for controllers and make it applicable to the military too.
This would help achieve uniform standards in controlling, it stated.
It said special status should be accorded to the air traffic personnel,
preferably by examining the feasibility of de-linking air traffic service from
the normal organisational setup and creating an independent cadre to be governed
by separate provisions.
Lahoti said in his report that an adequately staffed accident and incident
prevention directorate should be established in the Directorate-Ggeneral of
Civil Aviation to enhance the level of safety in civil aviation in the country.
The government was also asked to create a suitable ATC element at a senior
level in the DGCA to properly oversee all aspects of air traffic control.
''The Airports Authority of India should have a member on its board to look
after ATC matters. Regional and field ATC units should be placed under the
unified command of the ATC cadre,'' Lahoti said.
Besides the Airborne Collision Avoidance System, which the DGCA has made
mandatory by the end of 1998, all public transport aircraft should be equipped
with altitude alert system and altitude acquisition system, the court of inquiry
said.
It suggested that the AAI bifurcate ATS route G-452, a high-density traffic
route, into unidirectional arrival and departure corridors. Other bi-directional
routes may also be restructured wherever warranted, it said.
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