North Eastern upper airspace now integrated with Kolkata ATC Centre: AAI

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has integrated the upper airspace of the North Eastern Region with the Kolkata Communications, Navigation, Surveillance & Air Traffic Management facility. AAI has embarked upon this initiative of Upper Airspace Harmonization (UAH) in the four Flight Information Regions (FIR) namely Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai towards establishing a single continuum of upper airspace (26,000 ft. and above).

New Delhi: In a step to enhance its capacity, efficiency and safety in the Indian airspace, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Thursday integrated the upper airspace of the North Eastern Region with Kolkata Communications, Navigation, Surveillance & Air Traffic Management facility.

“On 25 March, 2021, the Upper airspace above 25,000 feet over North Eastern Region got integrated with Kolkata Communications, Navigation, Surveillance & Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) facility and will be controlled from Kolkata ATC Centre. Earlier, it was being controlled from Guwahati ATC Centre,” the AAI said on Thursday.

Inaugurating the operationalisation of the integration, Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI said, “This is a huge milestone for Airports Authority of India as well as Indian Civil Aviation Sector. The single continuum in the Sky is a gift from AAI to ‘Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav’.”

AAI has embarked upon this initiative of Upper Airspace Harmonization (UAH) in the four Flight Information Regions (FIR) namely Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai towards establishing a single continuum of upper airspace (26,000 ft. and above).

This will facilitate the provision of seamless Air Traffic Management (ATM) services resulting in the reduction of the cockpit workload. Also, it will help in the reduction of operational cost (fuel) and thereby less carbon emission through the assignment of economic flight level & direct routing. Implementation of this process will enhance airspace capacity, efficiency and safety.

Manoj Gangal, RED (Eastern Region) said that “This harmonization shall benefit the Airlines, Environment and Economy at large by curtailing flight time and fuel consumption resulting in reduced Carbon Footprint”.

Upper Airspace Harmonization (UAH) is a process by which aircraft flying in the airspace above a height are controlled from a central location with multiple airspace sectors. By this process, the entire upper airspace is harmonized with the application of uniform Air Traffic management procedures and standards to achieve enhanced level of safety and efficiency.

AAI said this is a part of the Indian Air Traffic Management Strategic Plan of seamless Air Traffic Services in Indian FIR in line with Global Air Navigation Plan & Regional Air Navigation Plan of ICAO.

With inputs from agency