Panel makes a case for decongesting air space

The panel has also asked that the 10 new radars being procured should be commissioned in the network, permitting them to operate from the 8220;area control centres8221; of Delhi and Mumbai, and AAI should also install 8220;ground-based augmentation system8221; GBAS at the two airports.

AAI should consolidate airspace from the existing four Flight Information Region FIRs to two FIRs with two Area Control Centres, one in Delhi and the other in Mumbai. The airspace should be an integrated one with automated Air Traffic Management system and have networked radars and very high frequencies VHFs, says the report.

On ATC delays, the report recommends that any delay above five minutes should be categoried as 8220;significant8221;.

It has advocated flexible and optimised use of airspace for meeting the needs of both military and civil aviation. It has suggested that a high-level committee should be constituted for common use of Indian airspace.

The airspace above 29,000 feet could be released for civil traffic in the presently-defined restricted/danger airspace.