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India's Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) Guild penned an urgent letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) Secretary regarding two incidents post-ATC Rating system changes, highlighting safety concerns.
According to the ATC guild letter to the MoCA, Secretary stated, "The fear which we have shown in our reference letters to Airport Authority of India (AAl), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and your good office is becoming real now, as the implementation of Area Control (Surveillance & Procedural) Concurrent rating system without conducting any safety assessment has already borne us two airprox/ breach of separation incidents at IGI Delhi and Ahmedabad airports within few days of implementation of concurrent system, and the count will go on if timely action is not taken," ATC guild letter read. There is no immediate response to the said incident from DGCA. However, the AAI has taken the above incident seriously and a senior official of AAI told ANI that, "the incident which ATC guild flagged is under investigation." The two incidents were reported in India skies in Delhi and Ahmedabad due to merging the responsibilities of controllers of surveillance and procedural together without safety assessments, as the body of Air Traffic Controllers claimed in the letter. The area control centres, where surveillance services are being provided, are generally manned by the Area Controller (procedural) and Area Controller (surveillance). To facilitate the provision of ATS surveillance services and monitoring by the area controller (procedural) a common VHF RTF shall be used by the Area Controller (surveillance) and Area Controller (procedural). (ANI)
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