India to launch GAGAN by next year

Navigating through the Indian skies would soon become easy as the government plans to launch next year the ‘satellite-based’ navigation system, GAGAN (Global Navigation Satellite System-aided Geo Augmented Navigation), which is being developed jointly by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). India will enter 'big league' in the world aviation scene with the launch of GAGAN next year, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said here on Tuesday. “Having such an advanced system will launch India into the future. The next generation of technology would enable airports in handling large volumes of air traffic,” he said while inaugurating the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)'s Navigational Systems Panel meet.

The minister said that to handle the rapidly increasing air traffic there was an urgent need to upgrade technical skills. He said the GAGAN system would make Indian skies safe and secure at par with the best in the world. Similar systems, like GAGAN are being developed by the US, European Union and Japan. AAI chairman K Ramalingam said the technology demonstration phase of the GAGAN system had ‘shown better than expected results’. The system was now being integrated with the geo-stationary satellite INMARSAT-4F1. “Encouraged by its initial success, it has now been decided to initiate the final operational phase, in which its coverage area will be extended to the oceanic airspace also,” Mr Ramalingam said.

Meanwhile, justifying the government’s decision to hike charges on airlines for peak-time operations at three major airports, Mr Patel said the burden would be offset by incentives during the non-peak hours. “This is not a permanent measure. It is a temporary step to tide over the problem of congestion till infrastructure to expand capacity of airports to handle heavy traffic is in place,” he added. The ministry is working on a proposal to double the peak-time navigation and other airport charges to de-congest air traffic over Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore airports from March 25, the start of the summer schedule. The charges could be halved between midnight and 0500 hours. The decision is likely to result in 10% to 15% rise in airfares during peak hours as airlines are likely to pass the burden to customers.

Courtesy: Economic Times

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