The government is planning to install secondary surveillance radars in four additional airports in the country by the end of this year.
Speaking at a conference, minister of state for civil aviation Chaman Lal Gupta said these radars would be installed at the Varanasi, Nagpur, Berhampur and Mangalore airports, and would enhance flight safety in these major air routes.
He said such radars had already been installed at eight airports and were also being equipped with minimum safe altitude warning systems, which would help reduce controlled flight into terrain accidents. "These radars will not only improve the capability of air traffic services, but will also enhance safety of flights in Indian airspace," he added.
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Stating that the present conventional navigation system had limitations providing coverage over limited areas, Gupta said India is was progressing to introduce global positioning system (GPS). A system for navigation over continental routes was being planned, he said.
Gupta said besides augmenting infrastructure at airports, steps had also been taken to upgrade equipment installed in aircraft of all operators operating flights in Indian airspace.
Significant steps taken recently included mandatory installation of airborne collision avoidance system on all aircraft with seating capacity of over 30 in or through Indian airspace.
Gupta added that the ground proximity warning system
was another safety enhancement equipment made mandatory by India and was to be installed in all aircraft with seating capacity of over 10 and also on
aircraft powered by twin turbine engines.
Emphasising the need for modernising and enhancing the capacity of air navigational facilities and air management in the country, he said it was all the more important, since India was an air corridor between the East and the West and nearly 600 flights overflew Indian airspace everyday.
Describing aviation safety as a process of continued learning through experience to achieve the aim of zero accident rate, the minister said emphasis should be laid on learning from the experience of others and thereby evolve accident prevention measures through safety awareness and education programmes.