First time in Indian history, an Indian airport will be provided with military and civil radar. The Indian Air Force on Tuesday said that the move comes to promote simultaneous operations from the Yelahanka airbase and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The first military and civil radar in an Airport
The Indian Air Force has taken a major initiative to co-locate IAF radar controllers with Airport Authority of India (AAI), radar controllers at KIA will promote simultaneous operations fromYelahanka airbase and KIA. It is the first time in the country that military and civil radar controllers are being co-located for providing radar control services within the respective airspace, said a source.
“Co-location will help dynamic co-ordination between the controllers, which will not only improve operational safety but also guarantee exploitation on the second runway at KIA to its full potential,” an IAF official said.
To ensure air traffic safety
IAF usually conducts ab-initio flying training for its rising aviation on transport aircraft and helicopters at Yelahanka air base near to KIA. The closeness within Yelahanka and the new runway at KIA requires aircraft from both airfields to fly perfectly to ensure that designated minimum radar separation between two aircraft is not violated, the statement said.
Various meetings were held in the last few years to steadily develop safe operational procedures. A joint working group (JWG) was established by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) including members of Indian Air Force, Airport Authority of India(AAI), Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) and MoCA to formulate ideas for safe conduct of operations without settling on civil or military requirement at both the airports.
“IAF has been at the vanguard in all discussions with a positive approach to sharing of airspace, co-location of radar controllers and formulation of safe procedures. IAF had also given a large portion of its airspace to KIA earlier to help the operationalization of the first runway at the international airport,” the official added.
