KATHMANDU: Tribhuvan International Airport, within a month, will have a fully automated Air Traffic Control (ATC) system of European standard which will minimise 50 per cent of the load at the ATC tower.
“The equipment required for a fully automated ATC tower has been set up and within a month the equipment will be installed and ready for operations,” said deputy director at TIA aviation office Bharat Sharma.
According to him, once the ATC is fully automated the total work load at the ATC tower will be minimised by 50 to 60 per cent, which will enhance communication between the ATC and pilots. “Once the ATC is fully automated, there will be effective coordination and support in controlling the increasing number of flights,” said Sharma.
The fully automated Air Traffic Control system of European standard is part of the TIA enhancement project that is funded by the Asian Development Bank. Air Traffic Controllers at TIA are currently using a semi-automated ATC system, due to which they face difficulties during Very High Frequency (VHF) communication.
According to Sharma, due to lack of modern technology, there is disturbance during VHF communication with pilots and controllers do not get sufficient time for two-way communication. At present, there are more than 400 departures and arrivals each day from the country’s only international airport, due to which TIA is facing both air traffic and VHF congestion.
Along with the new equipment, TIA will also receive a new Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar on grant from the Japanese government. The new radar will be installed by 2015, and it will cover the entire sky of the country. At present, the TIA tower has a capacity to monitor a distance of only 50 miles. The TIA radar was upgraded 15 years back, which was also a grant from Japan.
It is anticipated that with these transformations, safety will be enhanced and TIA will
be more capable of conducting safe flight operations and facilitating flexible use of operational hours by domestic and international flights.
Source: The Himalayan Times, 23/11/2013
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