Aviation

Thales looks at crowded Indian skies to employ air safety

Neelam Mathews - Melbourne

The explosive growth in air traffic that Indian aviation has been witnessing has accelerated the country's requirement for upgradation. It is therefore attracting international giants like Thales Air Systems for installation of its air traffic management (ATM).

Thales' capacity to provide a comprehensive response to customer requirements hinges on being an efficient multi-domestic organisation by becoming local in the countries it establishes itself through local management and technology transfer, says Thales Air Systems vice president, Bachu Murthi. "We establish units in countries of significance and operate with domestic operations. This entails investment by the group to establish footprint through investment in technology and people through a joint venture or acquisitions," he adds.

With the privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports and the development of greenfield airports in Hyderabad and Bengaluru (Bangalore), change is in the air. The government is also planning to set up second airports in some of the major metros, while the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is also looking at modernisation of secondary airports around the country.

Following its policy of multi-domesticity, in Australia Thales has a predominantly local management where tech transfer is done on a case to case basis. "ATM requires investment for the long term with people who have a high degree of experience and vision," adds Murthi. Throughout the world (except US), half the aircraft in the air today are brought to the ground safely using one of Thales' ATM systems like Eurocat. "It is designed in line with ICAO and Eurocontrol's guidelines and has worldwide interoperability. It has a full range of complementary, operationally proven advanced solutions for airport towers and air traffic control centres," says Murthi. Products include systems for communications, navigation (conventional and satellite), surveillance, and air traffic control centres. The company also offers services in upgrades, repairs, training, and implementation.

Thales recently set up a development center in Chennai for advanced IT solutions for its products, including radars and naval integration systems at an initial investment of three million Euros, to service its entire group. "We are looking at India with a long-term perspective. Our model is to be long-term partners rather than suppliers," says Murthi.

Thales facility in Melbourne, Australia is well positioned to benefit from new opportunities in the Asia Pacific market. The group's experience in updating the Australian air traffic system, demonstrating its technological competencies and ability to deploy extensive complex systems, was a determining factor in its success in gaining a major contract to install an integrated ATM system in China.