New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) Incidents of near misses between aeroplanes have almost doubled in the last five years, the Rajya Sabha was told today.
However, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the use of 'near misses' should be changed to 'air proximity incidents' as per the definition given by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
'' The rate of such incidents per one lakh movement, when aircraft had come in close proximity to another due to a breakdown of standard distance separation for the last five years, was 1.247 in 2002, 2.041 in 2003, 2.081 in 2004, 2.506 in 2005 and 2.559 in 2006,'' he told the House during Question Hour.
Admitting that the country was short of trained air traffic control technicians by 311, he said a process was on to remove the shortage which occurred due to the ban on admissions in the Air traffic control training institute of Allahabad, the only such institute in the country, from 1999 to 2004.
He assured the House that his Ministry had taken all possible steps to ensure air safety.
The Minister pointed out that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) has made it mandatory from January 2003 the installation of Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) on aeroplanes. Besides monopulse Secondary Surveillance, radars have since been installed at major airports to give altitude information to air traffic controllers.
Air traffic management service is also being modernised to include air traffic conflict warning in the system, he said.
UNI
However, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the use of 'near misses' should be changed to 'air proximity incidents' as per the definition given by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
'' The rate of such incidents per one lakh movement, when aircraft had come in close proximity to another due to a breakdown of standard distance separation for the last five years, was 1.247 in 2002, 2.041 in 2003, 2.081 in 2004, 2.506 in 2005 and 2.559 in 2006,'' he told the House during Question Hour.
Admitting that the country was short of trained air traffic control technicians by 311, he said a process was on to remove the shortage which occurred due to the ban on admissions in the Air traffic control training institute of Allahabad, the only such institute in the country, from 1999 to 2004.
He assured the House that his Ministry had taken all possible steps to ensure air safety.
The Minister pointed out that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) has made it mandatory from January 2003 the installation of Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) on aeroplanes. Besides monopulse Secondary Surveillance, radars have since been installed at major airports to give altitude information to air traffic controllers.
Air traffic management service is also being modernised to include air traffic conflict warning in the system, he said.
UNI
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