New highways in air; AAI cuts cost, flying distance

With China opening up its airspace to international traffic, civil aviation experts say, India has no choice but to modernise its airspace management system if it wants to retain a major share of the traffic plying on the east-west axis.

Earlier, air routes had to pass through points where ground-based navigational equipment were installed. This reduced options in drawing up parallel routes.

However, with the installation of satellite-based global positioning system aboard aircraft in the 1990s, it became possible to opt for the shortest distance between two points. According to AAI officials, most of the Indian airspace has been covered by secondary radars which allow aircraft to navigate using the on-board GPS facility.

The changes, however, are largely concentrated in central and southern parts of the country while only a couple of new routes could be added in north India because of the Indian Air Force voicing security concerns.

With several IAF bases spread across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, the AAI was asked to restrict the number of new routes in this region. As of now, the number of air routes criss-crossing Indian airspace has gone up from 108 to about 175.

Part of a larger international civil aviation programme to increase the number of air lanes in the airspace falling between Europe and S-E Asia, the new route structure was notified a few months ago but airline companies have begun to utilise it only recently. ‘‘They needed some time to get accustomed to the new routes. While many of them have still not started using it, the planes which have the required on-board gadgetry are already plying. We have received a good feedback so far,’’ said a senior AAI official.

After simultaneous multiple-laning of air corridors by 21 countries, including India, over the past six months, the International Air Transporters’ Association observed that the travelling time between London and Singapore has come down by 30 minutes.

Airline operators have also reported a 30-40 minute reduction in flying time in the London-Bangkok, Frankfurt-Singapore and even Mumbai-Singapore sectors. Domestic airline companies too have been using these routes and have recorded a difference of 5 to 15 minutes in long flights.

But while the AAI has introduced new parallel routes, it has not totally done away with the old structure. This has created a mismatch, particularly in north India. But AAI officials argue that with the IAF being averse to introducing changes near its bases, there is little it could do to ensure uniformity.

Air traffic controllers have reported problems in managing traffic at points where an old route merges with a new one. ‘‘It is like a village lane merging with a highway. This hampers movement on the main corridor and increases pressure on the controller,’’ says a senior AAI official.

But controllers also hold a grudge against the AAI for not issuing proper manuals on the new route structure.