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72-hour System Acceptance Test begins

• A 72-hour System Acceptance Test (SAT) for commissioning Indra automation system that meets all requirements of modern air safety has commenced at the Air Traffic Control (ATC) centre at the Thiruvananthapuram international airport here.On completion of the SAT, which commenced on Wednesday, the ATC authorities will forward the technical report and other details to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to secure the mandatory clearance to commission the advanced automation system developed by the Spanish Information Technology and Defence Systems Company.
• Air traffic controllers are working on the Indra system installed at the new Area Control Centre set up at the old visitors' gallery of the domestic terminal as well as the old Westing House system that had been retained as stand-by in the adjacent ATC tower. “We cannot take any risk as air safety is involved and hence both the systems are being run. As many as five controllers are working on both the systems since February 1,” Highly placed sources told The Hindu.
• Installed at a cost of 3,19,000 euro by the Airports Authority of India, the premier airport here is the fifth in the country to get the advanced automation system. Standard Operating Procedures had been prepared and the ATC personnel had been trained to operate the system.Once the technical details are forwarded, the observer will arrive here for the final inspection. Director General of Civil Aviation E. K. Bharath Bhushan had recently visited the new facility. “Till the DGCA clearance is obtained, round-the-clock operation evaluation will be undertaken. The clearance is expected in one month and after this the old system would be wound up,” sources added.
• Apart from increasing efficiency, reducing the chances of accidents, and improving passenger safety, the new system will ensure complete coverage of radars. Aircraft will be in continuous contact with the ATC while transiting to upper air space. Aircraft will also be able to reach an economic flight level and drastically reduce fuel consumption.Audio transmission to pilots will go digital and communication between the air traffic controllers and the pilots will be enhanced. The automation will help pilots know about air pockets and act accordingly. The new system will give the pilots more confidence as they would always be within radar coverage. It will also reduce their workload as the navigation will be from a single centre.
• The AAI will interlink area control radars in the south to eliminate radar blind spots and ensure improved air safety and efficient air traffic control. Under the ATC here, 200 nautical miles south of Kozhikode, Nedumbassery, Madurai, and Tiruchirapalli are covered.

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