TIRUCHY: The Tiruchy airport on Sunday became the first of the 38 ‘Type A’ airports in the country to have an Air Traffic Services (ATS) automation facility.
It has well-established aerial connections with major Indian airports as well as international destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The the commissioning of the automated ATS system would bolster air traffic management to meet the growing demand effectively and safely.
The automation improves air traffic management through timely information on aircraft movement, integration of met and aeronautical data. It facilitates flight information between Tiruchy and Chennai and Trivandrum Area Control Centres.
On integration with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-B (ADSB), the system would facilitate shorter and efficient routing of flights and optimum flight profile, leading to considerable conservation in fuel, significant emission reduction and reduction in delays to aircraft and passengers. The advanced ATS automation system is developed by Indra Systems of Spain.
“The ATS automation will be completed in all the other 37 Type A airports, such as Madurai, by August 2012,” said V Somasunadram, Member, (Air Navigation Services), Airport Authority of India (AAI).
“In order to expand the Tiruchy airport, about 510 acres of land needs to be acquired,” said Collector Jayashree Muralidharan. The wet agricultural lands around the airport pose a challenge on this front, she said. Hence, the airport expansion would be carried out in two phases.
“A survey that was done with regard to the expansion of the Tiruchy airport has been completed. The proposal will be sent to the government in one or two weeks,” said the Collector.
“The ADSB, which will cost one-tenth of the radar cost but equivalent of the radar efficiency, would also soon be installed at the Tiruchy airport,” said Somasundaram.
D Devaraj, Regional Executive Director-Southern Region, Chennai, PK Jha, General Manager (Communication Navigation and Surveillance-Southern Region, Sylvester Israel, General Manager-Airspace Management, New Delhi and S Dharmaraj, Tiruchy Airport Director, spoke.