India plans to control its entire airspace from Nagpur, big move to unify all 4 flight information regions

India is the major air navigation service provider in the Asia-Pacific region and controls over 2.8 million square nautical miles.

India is planning a major move to unify its four Flight Information Regions (FIRs) in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, into one continuous airspace in Nagpur and have harmonized Air Traffic Management from Nagpur which has a unique central location in the country.

The move is expected to enhance safety, reduce carbon footprint, reduce separations (between flights) and have more fuel-efficient flight paths for aircraft.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked for a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be made for Indian Single Sky Harmonized ATM (Air Traffic Management) at Nagpur (ISHAN) and to understand the technology available in Indian and the global market for the job. News18 has a copy of this document.

India is the major air navigation service provider in the Asia-Pacific region and controls over 2.8 million square nautical miles. This quantum of airspace is controlled by India through four flight information regions (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai) with a sub-FIR at Guwahati. India is sharing its Flight Information Regions (FIR) with 12 neighbouring countries.

“As per the growth statistics, there are huge challenges which are mainly safety, airspace capacity, airport constraints, resource management and environmental concerns. These challenges in vast Indian airspace are mitigated through various strategies like the implementation of PBN, Indian SBAS (GAGAN), Upper Airspace harmonization, ATM Automation, and Surveillance coverage by PSR/MSSR and ADS-B over continental as well as oceanic airspace. Having gained experience on upper airspace harmonization at Chennai and Kolkata FIR commensurate with India’s strategic plan India shall now progress towards the Single Sky Harmonized ATM with a standby Disaster recovery system (DRS) located at a different place, Nagpur,” the document with News18 says.

BENEFITS OF NAGPUR
The single continuum FIR would yield a lot of benefits in terms of safety, efficiency, user satisfaction, reduced carbon footprint and optimum manpower utilization, the document says.

“To have most efficient utilisation of airspace in terms of air traffic capacity the airspace route structure and sector boundaries are required to be restructured holistically that will benefit all stakeholders. The surveillance and communication gap areas have to be minimised to reap the benefits of the Single Sky Harmonized ATM with reduced separations and fuel-efficient flight paths,” the document has added.

The unification of the four Flight Information Regions (FIRs) in India into one continuous airspace in Nagpur aims to streamline and enhance air traffic management (ATM) operations in the region.

“The objective of the implementation of Single Sky Harmonized ATM is to provide seamless, unhindered, cost-effective, state-of-the-art developed technologies, customer satisfactory airspace which would be provided from one location (identified as Nagpur) which is strategically critical to meet the challenges by automation, remote facilities, including emerging technologies,” the document says.

The implementation of Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management at Nagpur (ISHAN) would require a thorough study of current and projected air traffic growth and the challenges related to the management of increased air traffic.

A selected consultant will carry out an extensive feasibility study for planning and implementation of Single FIR and technical Co- operation and guidance from some renowned International organisations or ANSPs experienced or engaged in Single Sky Harmonized ATM will be taken.

“This can be a stepping stone for developing a complex yet efficient Airspace and ATM infrastructure in India,” the document says.