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Mar 2007

Patel calls for upgrade of skills for safe flying

     New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today said that India's air traffic is increasing very rapidly, and therefore, there is a need to upgrade the technical skills to make the Indian skies safe and secure and at par with the best in the world. Inaugurating the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) Navigation System Panel meeting here today, Patel said that he expected India to be one of the leading aviation powers of the world over the next few years. The Satellite Based Navigation Systems being adopted in the country, he said would not only ensure that India was among the top five nations of the world to have such a sophisticated navigation system, but would also enable Indian airports to handle more flights with enhanced safety and security. The ICAO's Navigation System Panel has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing direction to the global civil aviation community in air navigation. It meets twice in a year to review the current status of air navigation systems, assesses their adequacy to meet the current and future requirements of handling air traffic and then discuss the augmentation requirements if necessary.

     The Panel, in last one and half decades, has adopted and worked out the requirements of Global Navigation Satellite Systems for their use in civil aviation environment. Standard and Recommended Practices recommended by the Panel are then adopted by International Civil Aviation Organization or ICAO, the UN body to monitor and control global civil aviation activities. Once these recommended Standard and Recommended Practices are adopted by ICAO are adopted by ICAO are then required to be followed all over the world. In the meeting that starts today and ends on March 16, the panel will discuss and take important decisions regarding the usage of Satellite Based Navigation Systems, their integration in the present environment and transact towards space-based systems in future. Various issues related to the implementation of these new systems will also be discussed. The Airports Authority of India, in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation are implementing GNSS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) to serve its air space. The Technology Demonstration Phase of this system has shown better than expected results. The system is now being integrated with Geo Stationary Satellite INMARSAT 4F1. The integrated system will then be flight calibrated to confirm its operational requirements. Encouraged by initial successes, it has now been decided to initiate the Final Operational Phase, in which the coverage of the system will be extended to the oceanic air space also. Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman, AAI, Dr. Ramalingam informed that the AAI has been a member of this panel right from its inception and has contributed extensively to its activities.
-Mar 6, 2007