The Air Traffic Control

NEW DELHI: Indian Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) will now be licensed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), just like pilots. The aviation ministry took this decision after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended that air navigation services, which provide ATC service, should come under a separate regulatory agency. For the last 70 years, ATC's parent organisation - Airports Authority of India (AAI) - was doing their licensing too. "The aviation ministry has decided that DGCA will do licensing of ATCOs. AAI has an outstanding ICAO-compliant training and certification system for ATC. We will now approve that and have surveillance over that system. The modalities of the licensing/certification process under DGCA is being worked out and will be finalised soon," said a senior DGCA officer. India currently has over 3,000 ATCOs. Source: TOI

On May 14 an  Airbus A330 type aircraft of the South Korean airline, Asiana Airlines, hit the tail of Turkish Airlines' Airbus A321.  Security camera footage captured an Asiana aircraft colliding with a Turkish Airlines jet as it was taxing on the tarmac at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul on Sunday.   Fire crews immediately rushed to the plane.   Airline officials say no one was injured.

Nepal Army's cargo helicopter crashed in Muktinath (Nepal).   Both pilots killed.  Source: ANI

A mid-air collision was averted when an IndiGo Airlines flight (6E-892, Airbus A320, Kolkata to Agartala) and an Air Deccan flight (DN-602, 18-seater Beechcraft 1900 D, Agartala to Kolkata) came close to each other by 700 meters over the Dhaka airspace and RA (resolution advisory) was triggered. The breach took place May 2, but is being revealed only now.  The Air Deccan flight DN 602 was on the descend from 9,000 feet flight level, while the IndiGo flight 6E 892 was on the climb after taking off from Kolkata for Agartala. It was, however, told to maintain 8,300 feet flight level, which triggered TCAS. The incident is now being probed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

The Pakyong (Gangtok) Airport at Sikkim is likely to get inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  The airport was approved by the centre in 2008 and trial for use by commercial airlines were on. This month, the airport got license for scheduled operations.  Low-cost airline SpiceJet has been granted permission to fly to Pakyong from Kolkata under the Civil Aviation Ministry's regional connectivity scheme.  SpiceJet has already conducted a dry run at the airport with one its Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft successfully landing there on March 5. Also in March, A Dornier 228 of the Indian Air Force also landed at the airport.  This airport is of strategic importance and tourism sector, in particular, is expected to benefit immensely with this airport.

The Dabolim International Airport at Goa is to receive a major expansion and face lift with two world-class airports coming up to cater to growing air traffic.  Goa is gearing up to receive a major expansion and face lift with two world class airports, one at Dabolim and the second being developed in Mopa. The Government of India had approved the proposal of the Government of Goa for continuation of civilian operations at Dabolim Civil Aviation Enclave, even after the commissioning of new international airport at Mopa.  The work at Dabolim International Airport includes extension of the terminal building and creation of parking bays.  In order to ease traffic and handle more movements, the AAI is developing a parallel taxiway at Dabolim International Airport.  The airport will get in-line X-ray baggage system apart from a host of self-service kiosk and additional Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE) for enhancing the capacity and passenger throughput. The operation of civil co