New ATC tower at airport to start live trial today, function for 2 hours every weekday
Times of India | 24 March 2025
Kolkata: The new air traffic control (ATC) tower at Kolkata airport will become operational on Monday. It will function parallelly with the existing ATC for two hours every weekday afternoon over the next three months.
"Live trials will commence at the new ATC tower from Monday afternoon. A lean period during the day has been chosen for this. Controllers will operate from the brand new ATC between 2 pm and 4 pm from Monday to Friday. They will communicate with flights arriving and departing the city and oversee landings and takeoffs. The existing ATC will be on 'hot standby', ready to take over operations should there be a requirement," a source said.
While the facility is new, the system on which it will operate is an old one from 2012. Sources at Airports Authority of India (AAI) said it could take another 18 to 24 months to select, procure, install, and operationalise the new system. Instead of waiting that long, AAI has decided to start the facility by using the modified version of the existing system. During the two afternoon hours, Kolkata airport has around 40 flight arrivals and departures. Around eight controllers will be on duty at the new tower when it is functional. Technicians from the communication, navigation, and surveillance wing that ensures the system is properly functional will also be present at the facility during this time. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that guards the existing ATC will be deployed to secure the new tower when the facility is functional. The rest of the new air traffic navigation complex, comprising the area control and the technical blocks, will continue to be guarded by a private security agency.
Sources said successful tests of the parallel system were carried out on Feb 20, and all necessary regulatory procedures, including safety requirements, have been fulfilled.
The new ATC tower at 187 ft is taller than the existing ATC, which is 112 ft tall. The operational control area in the new tower will be 2,475 sq ft, up from the cramped 1,260 sq ft in the existing facility. Civil work at the facility and installation of electrical and optic fibre cables was completed in Feb last year.
"The existing automation equipment that was procured in 2012 and installed in 2013 has been extended to the new facility. It integrates approach radar and advanced surface movement guidance and control system as well as VHF communication equipment," the source added.