CHENNAI: Just six months after the advanced upper airspace harmonization programme was taken up by the Airports Authority of India in Chennai, a cost benefit analysis of its effectiveness has shown that close to Rs 149.5 crore (USD 29.9 million) could be saved in jet fuel. According to V Somasundaram, Member - Air Navigation Services, air traffic controllers have been able to route and delay flights in such an effective way with the new system, that fuel wastage, unnecessary circling over airspace and waiting periods had been cut drastically. “By saving air travel time, the flight time and the emissions from the engines have been reduced,” he explained. The analysis, conducted by AAI, showed that close to 3,121 hours of wasted flight time had been reduced, saving 22.3 million litres of turbine fuel. As this project was a pilot scheme that was launched in Chennai last September, it integrated the radars from places such as Vizag, Bellary and Chennai, “The controller in Chennai has been able to see all the flight movements, seated here. This has worked well due to the technical expertise of ATC staff in Chennai,” he said. When they entered this system into the running for the Jane’s Award, AAI bagged the award for Best Operational Safety, last week in Amsterdam.Spurred on by this success, AAI is moving ahead with the establishment of similar integrated radar systems in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata by “end 2012” promised Somasundaram. Once these individual “command sectors” are established, the more ambitious plan is to set up a Centralized Air Traffic Flow Management Centre in New Delhi, he added. “Imagine, the movement of every aircraft over Indian airspace can be monitored from one centre. This will greatly increase safety in the air,” he also said.
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