Acquisition of aircraft: DGCA amends procedure for obtaining permission

According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), GAGAN uses a system of ground stations to provide augmentations to the GPS standard positioning service navigation signal. The navigation system said to be designed for providing the additional accuracy, availability, and integrity necessary to enable users to rely on GPS for all phases of a flight. GAGAN would provide benefits beyond aviation to all modes of transportation, including maritime, highways, and railways, as per AAI website.

The navigation system was jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India at an investment of Rs 774 crore. The system is also said to make airline operations more efficient and cut costs as it reduces separation between aircraft with increase in air safety and fuel efficiency.

According to a senior civil aviation ministry official, the government is in discussions with various airlines to ensure that they adhere to the January 2019 deadline, which is unlikely to be extended later. Industry sources also pointed out that the GAGAN system is already there on smaller aircraft such as ATRs and Bombardiers, which are in service for regional routes, while a majority of other larger aircraft such as Airbus A320, A330, Boeing 737, B777 and B787s, among others, are not GAGAN equipped.

As per Boeing’s 2017 Current Market Outlook, airlines in India will need 2,100 new airplanes valued at $290 billion between 2017 and 2036, 85 per cent of which would be single-aisle narrow-body aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. Further, estimated cost for a carrier to equip its aircraft with GAGAN system could be between Rs 1-2 crore per airliner.