Handling one flight a minute, Delhi ATC touches a new high

NEWDELHI:In less than five months since having started operations from the new building, the Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) has set the record for handling the most flight operations in a day in the country. The record — operations of 1,438 flight in one day, including both landings and takeoffs — was achieved in the last week of November.

Officials said that the record has overshadowed the ATC’s past record of 1,398 flight operations in a day, recorded in March. Also, the new record implies that the Delhi ATC handles almost one flight operation per minute.

The ATC officials credited their new set-up for their latest achievement. A senior officer, who is not authorised to speak to media, said the new tower that is 101.9 metres high, 41 metres taller than the old one and not only gives them a better 360-degree view of all three runways, but also has space for 18 additional workstations.

“This makes space for more controllers, improving efficiency We could also divide the air space into nine sectors, from the earlier five, lowering work pressure per controller,” he said.

Another officer said the record is contrary to what is usually seen after a change of the entire set-up.

“Often, across the world, it has been seen as a trend that when an ATC changes its place of function, there is a slight dip in the handling capacity. It is commendable that our controllers not just managed to maintain the pace, but even took it to a record level,” the officer said.

However, the officer said setting a record is not new for them. Earlier, in March, a record was set from the old campus on the Delhi airport, when 1,398 flight operations were conducted in a day, he said.

“In 2019, the average number of flights handled by our crew in one day is 1,350. Delhi airport has witnessed a constant rise in air traffic,” the officer said.