Satellite based airtraffic control

Now, satellite-based air traffic control at nightPublished Date: 9/13/2005 - (NIE)ENSCHENNAI,Sept 13 2005: In a bid to handle increasing air traffic movement in the southern region, Airports Authority of India (AAI) has enhanced air traffic management facilities in Chennai airport from Monday.The move includes extension of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) to 24 hours from its earlier limited-hour functioning. Previously, the facility was not available between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m.ADS and CPDLC are satellite-based communication systems which enable effective surveillance and communication with aircraft flying over Chennai and also with those aircraft landing at, or taking off from the airport, even in rough weather. This ensures effective navigation of the aircraft.ADS enables officials at the ATC tower to identify the exact location of a flying aircraft as soon as it enters the Chennai flight information region (FIR) which covers Hyderabad to Kanyakumari over land; and the Bay of Bengal in the east and areas of Arabian Sea, west of Thiruvananthapuram, over the ocean.On the other hand, CPDLC enables effective communication between the ATC tower and aircraft, minimising noise and weather disturbances, a feature absent in conventional communication systems.According to K Ramalingam, Regional Executive Director, Southern Region, Air Traffic Management (ATM): “The ground facilities to control air traffic was made round the clock because of the increasing air space capacity in the Chennai flight information region.”Besides, the number of aircraft that were flying over Chennai too, had steadily increased over the years, he added.Three parallel international air routes that pass through Chennai are used by international airlines to fly to Europe and Hong Kong from destinations in South-East Asia.As the maximum number of flights fly over the city during the night, availability of the new air traffic management facility at night is crucial, sources said.According to month-based statistics, 2,975 aircraft flew over Chennai in January 2001 and the number increased to a whopping 5,644 in January 2005. The arrival and departure figures at Chennai airport too have increased considerably, from 3,389 in January 2001, to 5,853 in January 2005.Hence, introduction of satellite-based communication system would enable ATC officials to better navigate the aircraft, Ramalingam said.In the recent past, AAI has introduced parallel air-route structures and reduced vertical separation (RVSM) between aircraft, to increase airspace capacity and ensure air safety. With RVSM, the vertical space between aircraft has been reduced to 1,000 feet from 2,000 feet.