DGCA to implement performance-based navigation in Indian air space
15 Apr 2008
Mumbai: India is likely to introduce performance-based navigation system in its air space by June -July this year, according to a top civil aviation regulatory authority official.
"We are introducing performance-based navigation, which will make the longitudinal distance shorter by about three nautical miles from the existing 5-7 nautical miles," director general of civil aviation, K Gohain, told reporters on the sidelines of a safety seminar hosted by private carrier Jet Airways here.
When queried about a deadline for its implementation, Gohain said: "We are trying to test this. We are doing our best; we will try to implement performance-based navigation system by June-July this year."
Performance-based navigation allows aircraft to take advantage of installed on-board technology and break from the traditional, and somewhat rigid, ground-based navigation system. Upon transiting to performance-based navigation, aircraft will be able to fly flexible, point-to-point routes reliably and accurately.
This also results in reduced fuel burn and higher levels of safety.
According to Gohain, India's civil aviation regulatory body, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, was also working on reducing the lateral displacement of aircraft in flight. Lateral displacement of aircraft would also help in increasing air space capacity and ease traffic growth, he said.
"We have already reduced the vertical separation to 1,000 ft at a flight level of 29,000 ft and above," he added.
He mentioned that pilots were also being trained for this specific need along with certification being provided to aircraft. "The pilots are also being subjected to that. The aircraft has to be certified for this precision instrument. Even the crew has to be trained. They have to go for that training," he said.
