BENGALURU: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are working on resolving possible airspace conflicts after the second runway at KIA becomes operational.
To keep pace with air traffic growth, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has started work on a second runway at KIA. Operations from the second runway may impact training at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka.
Transport and helicopter pilots are trained at the Air Force Station. It is one of the most active air bases in the country and also the venue of the biennial Aero India airshow. “Operations on the second KIA runway may impact helicopter flying which is conducted north of the Air Force Station runway,” a source told Express.
A Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising IAF, HAL and BIAL representatives has been formed to and resolve all airspace conflicts. The issue had been discussed at the JWG meetings earlier. In the next few days, the group will have a series of meetings to deliberate on Air Traffic Service (ATS) procedures, airspace boundaries and other related issues.
When contacted, Air Officer Commanding-in-chief, IAF Training Command, Air Marshal Ramesh Rai said, “When the number of airplanes increases in the airspace there will be some issues and we have to solve it mutually. The JWG is looking into those issues.”
The JWG is in the process of identifying an aviation space management company which would give expert advice on optimum exploitation of the available airspace without any conflict. The agency will study air traffic patterns and make suggestions to the group.
According to a BIAL official, work on the second runway has started and it is likely to be operational in 2016.