Mumbai airport lacks crucial radar, gets risky

CNN IBN

Mumbai, 08 July 2010: India’s busiest airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, could get even more chaotic and dangerous. Weeks after CNN-IBN reported how crucial radar equipment at the airport was missing; further investigation shows that there will be a delay of eight months in the installation of the Surface Movement Radar.

The Surface Movement Radar tracks all ground movements but its warranty has already expired.

 

 

The reason why it has not yet been installed is that one of the two units of the radar cannot be placed atop Terminal 1B. A study on structural feasibility pointed out that the terminal building is incapable of bearing the weight of the radar.

The backup unit will be setup on a specially constructed structure on the airside near the current Air Radar. But experts believe the delay will not only worsen the current situation; but could also be hazardous for operations.

"In the current scenario, there are many flights landing and many vehicles simultaneously operating on the airside. Now add to it the fact that there are two runways at Mumbai. The situation truly is chaotic for all," says aviation expert Vipul Saxena.

The airport has seen many cases of near-miss at the airport.

On May 28, 2010 a Jet Airways Boeing 737 landing on the runway encountered an Indigo flight on the same runway. On April 19, 2010 Bhavnagar-bound Kingfisher aircraft aborted takeoff after GoAir landed on the same runway.

The two near-misses in the last two months are latest in a string of alarmingly close encounters involving aircraft at the Mumbai Airport.

On May 31, 2009 Air India aircraft and Jet plane escaped major mishap after both were given clearance for takeoff while on August 24, 2009 two chartered aircraft took off almost simultaneously from Runway 27.

On February 9, 2009 a near-collision was averted between helicopter in President’s entourage and Air India flight.

Now with a radar system that has been long acquired but not installed and according to sources with even an expired warranty, the aviation minister too is pointing out the chaos at the airport

"Mumbai airport is bursting at it’s seams," says Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

Under the chaotic situation prevailing at the Mumbai airport, the surface movement radar is functionally so important and crucial that even the DGCA as well as the FAA had pointed the lack of it as the biggest threat perception parameter for operations here.

A blind ground situation for the ATC and a saturated airport are the right ingredients for a ticking bomb-like situation. The prayer is to the Airports Authority of India to wake up and do something sooner.