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No move by FAA to downgrade India's airports: MoCA sources

According to a PTI report, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not made any move to downgrade India's airports, even though an action plan was being implemented to meet global aviation safety standards and regulations. Certain sources from Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) stated, “The FAA has not reached any decision to downgrade India to Category-two countries (in terms of global standards). We are continuing our discussions as part of the agreement between India and the United States for development and modernisation of our civil aviation infrastructure.”

The agreement, signed in November 2006, entailed that experts from both sides would work together on issues ranging from Air Traffic Control (ATC) training and procedures to aviation safety standards and regulations. The agreement had come at a time when India became second after China in terms of the fast-paced aviation traffic growth, which was projected to maintain the pace of more than 25 per cent over the next four years. The massive growth in air traffic, both in passenger and aircraft numbers, had far outpaced the aviation infrastructure and skilled manpower availability, prompting India to get international help to meet global safety and security standards.

The FAA, after auditing various aspects of Indian regulatory system and infrastructure, had made a large number of recommendations, both short and long term, including strengthening of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).The sources informed that three groups of experts were being set up with the help of the UN body, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), to monitor and work on speedy modernisation of airports, flight safety and navigation and surveillance.

In a step towards managing the huge air traffic growth, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are already developing India's own satellite-based augmentation system that uses the Global Positioning System (GPS), called the GEO Augmented and Navigation (GAGAN) project. The sources also added that for almost a decade now, FAA has assisted Indian agencies in research and development of global navigation satellite systems and supported modernisation of India's air traffic control system through its GPS. Other areas where FAA is working with the Indian agencies include implementing Performance-Based Navigation, where aircraft can take advantage of advanced technologies to use the most efficient routings while maintaining the highest standards of performance and safety.

Training for air traffic controllers to handle high-density traffic and monitor the safety of airspace is also part of cooperation programme with the FAA, which has opened an office in New Delhi in 2006 to promote these technical support efforts. The modernisation of big and small airports across the country was also being made keeping in mind the new and advanced techniques, procedures and technology, mostly available in the West. Steps were also being taken to strengthen the DGCA by recruiting over 400 technically-trained officials over the next few years and also to set up the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERO), the legislation for which was passed by Parliament in the last session.

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