Management

Cover Story

Congestion control

Near-hits and misses, sequencing and spacing, ascents and descents - life in an air traffic control room isn't easy. So, what is the AAI doing to justify the congestion charges imposed on the airlines? By Anupama Sushil

Tourism is growing, new airlines are making their presence felt, more flight routes are being introduced, aircraft traffic is increasing - all point towards a growing belief that India is poised to become the next regional hub for aviation in Asia, after Dubai and Singapore.

According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), India saw a 28.3 per cent growth in traffic in aircraft movement in the year 2006-07. So far, so good. But according to reports, approximately 45 per cent of total traffic is concentrated only in New Delhi and Mumbai airports. According to an AAI official in Mumbai International Airport, the airport has seen a 54 per cent rise in air traffic post 2003 and handles up to 30 flights per hour.

This kind of growth points towards shortfalls - at all three levels - airport surface, airport terminal area and en route. The airport infrastructure is woefully inadequate along with lack of trained air traffic control officers (ATCO). At present, the ATC in Mumbai has only 160 people, and the ATC room was modernised last in 1998-99 with the then-available technology at the cost of Rs 500 crore. And the Mumbai ATC is rated as one of the finest in the world!

Systems, opportunities and challenges

So the question is: are we ready to handle the traffic in terms of infrastructure and manpower? Air traffic control issues and the system of Air Traffic Management (ATM) was probably the most discussed topic at the Indo-US aviation partnership summit held in April 2007. Jeff Williams, manager of RNAV/RNP group, Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Organisation, discussed the growing challenges due to increasing air traffic generating demands on air space.

This pressure on air space results in increase in fuel costs, which compels infrastructure expansion, improvement and maintenance. He identified these as the major challenges for the future and introduced the performance-based navigation (PBN) as a cost-effective way to produce measurable improvements in flight safety, system capacity, operational efficiency and new or improved airspace access.

For achieving effective PBN, it is necessary for air traffic regulator agencies and stakeholders to work together in order to successfully implement Evolution of Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Programme (RNP) capabilities in a country's airspace, he concluded. At the same event, Judy Marks, president of Lockheed Martin Transportation & Security Solution emphasised on strengthening ties between different agencies in order to cope up with the rapid growth in an attempt to make air travel safer and more efficient.

Making a next generation commitment, she said that the interoperability and global harmonisation and integrated environment are the key focus areas. She also explained the shared goals of safe separation, easy reliable travel and a secure environment. Focusing on future initiatives, Marks said, "The critical expansion and improvement of infrastructure and also decongesting the choke points like the secondary airports and the terminal domains is vital. Modernisation plans of strategic alliances, inter alliances, satellite based system and interoperability using oceanic procedures, automatic surveillance and communications data links will help change the scenario."

Infrastructure is undervalued

Infrastructure is undervalued. Navigational aids, instrument landing systems, radar and meteorological data interface with ATC are essential for a busy ATC centre. The challenge being that the implementation of infrastructure is not due to lack of planning or standards but due to financing. Public-private partnership is the most viable model of growth. Its minimised impact on customers and sponsors, operational relationship with the private party and the long term sustainability all make it a preferred solution. Financing is most necessary for ATC modernisation which is necessary for the future.

Giving details of the Indian plans for overcoming traffic management problems, programme director (Satellite Navigation) at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr SV Kibe said modern Indian airspace would soon be operating with the Indian satellite navigation programme - GAGAN. The ISNP-GAGAN to be launched in the year 2009 would be managed jointly by ISRO and AAI. This regional satellite navigation system will placed in the L-5 band to facilitate navigation. This SBAS (satellite based augmentation system) will serve all airports within the area and also support other augmentation techniques like the ground-based and the aircraft-based techniques. It is one of the most concrete efforts of upper airspace management that will link aircraft to each other without using the ground ATC.

Discussing the challenges faced by air traffic service providers and on how to meet their demands, air traffic management, AAI, general manager, V Somusundaram, said, "Effective airspace management can help bring co-ordination in civil and military use of airspace. An automatic air traffic management will help optimum usage of airspace with optimum capacity, prove cost-effective, provide flexibility in operation and encourage cooperative decision making."

Technology is available to enhance capacity, efficiency, safety and security. Exploitation of the strengths of airborne and ground-based systems and the integration of both is the key. Global collaboration would accelerate system modernisation and a comprehensive and committed plan will encourage investment to achieve airport and ATC efficiency and capacity. According to Christopher Benich, director of Aerospace Regulatory Affairs, the key drivers for growth are - capacity enhancing mobility and economic and industry growth; efficiency decreasing environmental impacts; safety ensuring continuous improvement and growth without degradation and security neutralising threats. "There are different objectives for airport surface and airport terminal area operations and both can be achieved by using technology which will enable solutions across all domains, optimise functional allocation and increase global harmonisation. All these well defined technology based plans will reduce investment risk," he said.

Also addressing the need of traffic flow management and metering, David Rhodes, director of Advanced Air Traffic Solutions, Civil Group at Computer Sciences Corporation, said that an effective system will help keep traffic moving securely and efficiently powered by automated strategies overcoming severe weather and congestion. "Efficiency can only be achieved by balancing customer needs with responsibilities and development of technology minimising ill effects on environment", he stated.

The two enabling technologies for traffic flow management (TFM) and for metering, Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) helps smooth air traffic flow by collaborative decision making and decision support and execution tool to help optimise flow into capacity constrained areas using time based metering, spacing and sequencing respectively. The two technologies help in maximising throughput, minimising delay, efficient use of capacity and fuel, enhancing safety, reducing pollution, making reliable schedules and predicting block times.

Expand and upgrade

According to AAI, technology at Indian airports today include Voice Communication Control System (VCCS) available at 11 airports and planned at three more airports, Digital Airport Terminal Information System (DATIS) installed at 16 airports along with Multi-channel Digital Voice Tape Recorders at 40 airports. Also the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) at 16 airports in the country help in better management.

More advancements are under implementation like the dedicated satellite communication network systems at 80 airports. Also under implementation is the ATS Message Handling System (AMHS) in Mumbai to handle ground sub-network of Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN); 3 VCCS, 12 DATIS to be installed soon. The major task lies in networking of all digital terminal information system at the 38 airports to enable download of terminal information of any airport from anywhere at anytime through data communication. This will surely help record data in real time enabling more correctness onto the entire system.

At the time of implementation, level planning is important at each level be it airport surface, terminal area or en route. This can be achieved only with common solutions across all domains and co-ordination transition timings , optimising functional allocations like performance, workload, safety and cost supported by global harmonisation with providing global solutions, aircraft interoperability and lower costs. The Airports Authority of India is looking at them with DATIS (VOICE) communication to be extended to 12 more airports, DATIS (VOICE+DATALINK) - to be implemented at major airports and Data link for clearance delivery to be implemented at Mumbai, Delhi - to start with.

Positive landing

The key is to exploit the strengths that technology offers for airborne and ground-based systems in integration to serve better. Therefore in order to achieve these comprehensive and committed plans encouraging investments ensuring, efficiency, safety and security are being developed by AAI. The authority has planned upgradations that include two more Cat-III ILS systems for Delhi for new runways and Cat-II ILS planned up-gradation for Amritsar and Jaipur.

Also, GAGAN Indian Space Based Augmentation System for navigation, developed jointly by the AAI and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at an estimated cost of Rs 644 crore, is expected to be commissioned by December 2010. In the future, combined with US and other national efforts, GAGAN can be the backbone of a global system endorsed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Another powerful system of GBAS (Ground-Based Augmentation System) will enable integrity information and differential corrections and will be implemented across the nation. Emphasising on the training of the ATCO for full utilisation of the available technology and overcoming the acute shortage of employees, the AAI has refurbished the training course with on the job training at field level; advanced training and refresher training at station level ; FAM visit to advanced system/facilities at busy centres like Australia, UK, Amsterdam etc. the authority has also devised various incentives to motivate the personnel to acquire various skills and ratings; and attractive financial incentives to retain trained manpower.

Upgradations like ATC automation for remote Towers, upgradation of Automation System at Mumbai and Delhi airports, to facilitate increased aircraft handling capacity Provision of ATS system at new Bangalore (BIAL) and Hyderabad (HIAL) airports are in pipeline. In order to be consistent, there has to be Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM), wherein there are approved slots, which are supplemented by adequate infrastructure, equipment (technology) and manpower but AAI officials seemed positive about the Navi Mumbai Airport, as it would reduce the burden on the existing airport.

According to AAI, capacity enhancement initiatives for the Delhi airport are enormous with simultaneous two runway operations, additional control positions in tower with two tower controllers, 2 SMC controllers and one clearance delivery controller - for issue of ATC clearance on dedicated channel with one supervisor. The authority also mentions that an advanced surface movement guidance and control system for effective ground surveillance will also be in place in some time for significant reduction in delays and congestion, with enhanced capacity.

Inputs from Chetan Kapoor, Mumbai