Solidarity move: Kolkata ATC to remember Myanmar colleagues
Times of India | 1 April 2025
Kolkata: Air traffic controllers (ATCOs) in Kolkata will observe silence for 2 minutes on Tuesday in solidarity with the four ATCOs, who died while on duty in Myanmar's capital, Nay Pyi Taw, when the ATC tower there collapsed after the 7.7-magnitude earthquakehit the country on Friday.
The ATC in Kolkata is currently providing greater separation (distance between aircraft) for flights heading to countries in South-East and East Asia passing through the "radio silence" zone in central Myanmar.
Following the tower collapse, four ATCOs in Myanmar — Le Aung, Th Ko Ko, Hani Ran, and Naing Mo — were killed. Air traffic into the airport there was suspended for several hours on Friday. Also, the VHF connection at Lashio, where two flight routes — A599, which goes from Chittagong, and A201, which goes through Patna-Rajsahi-Agartala — intersect, became non-functional. That is wheen air controllers in Kolkata stepped in to help by providing greater separation to the flights heading east.Yangon ATC has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) informing all airlines and pilots of the change. "On these two routes, overflying aircraft heading to China, Taipei, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries in South-East and East Asia are being provided 15 minutes separation instead of the usual 10 minutes," said a controller. The increase in separation between two planes from 10 minutes to 15 minutes increases the distance between the aircraft from 150 km to 225 km.
Lashio, where the VHF communication has been lost since Friday, is situated 200 km northeast of Mandalay, the area worst affected by the earthquake. In the other overflying routes, however, a source said Yangon area control centre was continuing to provide navigation service to planes. In Feb 2021, controllers in Kolkata had safely guided over 1,000 flights after the skies of Myanmar fell eerily silent following a coup in the country for eight days.
The air traffic controllers in Kolkata, who were on duty, had also observed a minute's silence for the unfortunate loss on Saturday.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes, Messages and quotes !