Mumbai, June
20:
Pre-departure
clearance to aircraft by Air Traffic Control in the country is all set for a
major technology up-gradation. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has begun
trial operations of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance at the
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. This will eventually replace
the present system of voice based pre-departure clearances. The new system will
eliminate possibility of human error and will enhance safety and efficiency of
operations.
In addition to
Mumbai, such Data Link Departure Clearance (DLC) Systems will be deployed at
Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad International Airports.
Pre-departure
clearance is an authorisation issued by Air Traffic Control to the pilot
regarding the runway to be used, route to be flown from departure to
destination and the cruising level that the aircraft is expected to maintain.
At present, Air
Traffic Controllers, on request from the pilot of an aircraft, issue
pre-departure clearance through voice communication using VHF radio from the
Air Traffic Control tower. The pilots are expected to read back the entire
clearance to confirm correct receipt of the same, again through voice
communication.
In the case of
Data Link Communication, the pilot requests the clearance using the Flight
Management Computer in the cockpit. The Controller selects the appropriate
clearance from the data base and at the press of a button the information goes
to the cockpit of the aircraft via Data Link.
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