Wanted: radar revamp at Calcutta airport to bring surveillance facilities on a par with other major airports in the country.

In a letter to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) headquarters in Delhi, Calcutta airport officials have sought an overhaul of all seven radar monitor sets.

“All these monitors have been running continuously for almost 10 years,” the letter stated. “Calcutta air traffic station has the busiest overflying traffic in India during nights and as a result, an advanced display terminal would benefit them (air traffic controllers) in keeping the airspace safe and efficient.”

Airport officials said “around 1,000 flights” overfly Calcutta airport, most of them at night.

“Along with modernisation of other infrastructure at the airport, navigational aids will be upgraded and plans will be drawn up accordingly,” assured S.P. S. Bakshi, regional executive director, AAI.

The monitor set is a big screen on which the aircraft position, technically known as blip, is displayed.

The secondary radar allows the controller to monitor altitude and speed in order to guide the aircraft and prevent mid-air collision.

The Calcutta airport monitors are old and obsolete. The picture quality is poor and at times, the monitors malfunction, unable to bear the load.

There is only one standby radar display monitor for four radar units and no radar for surveillance of ground movement of aircraft.

The Air Traffic Controllers’ Guild (India), eastern region, has sought replacement of the old monitors with state-of-the-art LCD display monitors.

“These would give clearer and sharper images of the aircraft position and enhance safety,” said an officer.

Along with the new LCD terminals, the guild has demanded installation of advanced surface movement guidance and control system, airport surface detection equipment, airport surface movement indicators and more standby radars.

The surveillance equipment will help in the movement of an aircraft amidst fog on the ground from the runway to the parking bay.

“Category II Instrumental Landing System will help the aircraft land and take-off in foggy conditions. But even then flights can be delayed if they have to be guided to and from the parking bay by a pilot jeep,” explained an official.