AAI installs centralised system to reduce wait time New system to cut flight time

New Delhi, Jan. 26: Air traffic congestion over the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here is expected to be reduced significantly from April as the AAI is set to put in place a new mechanism for regulating the traffic.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) is working towards the implementation of a Centrally-controlled Air Traffic Flow Management (C-AFTM) system across country’s airspace and major airports, particularly those with high traffic density, in its bid to cut travel time for fliers.

The C-AFTM system, coming up at an estimated cost of `107 crore, is to be initially implemented at the Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata airports. Once in place, it would reduce the holding time of planes over airports, an AAI spokesperson said.

The trials for C-AFTM system implementation at Delhi airports have already began and in all likelihood it would be functional from April this year, he said.

Earlier in the day, AAI announced dedicating the C-ATFM system to the nation on the occasion of the country’s 68th Republic Day.

Unable to land due to congestion, flights are often forced to hover above airports, particularly at Delhi and Mumbai, resulting in delays. The new system would integrate data from airlines, airports and airtraffic agencies and inform airlines about the time planes will be parked at the destination airport well before departure. — PTI