The global positioning system-aided GAGAN, a joint venture between AAI and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), would improve air traffic management through timely information on aircraft movement, integration of Met data and aeronautical information, said V Somasundaram, Member of Air Navigation Services, here.
Once implemented, India would be the fourth country in the world to have a satellite-based navigation system after the USA, Japan and European Consortium, Somasundaram said.
"By virtue of this system, human intervention will be minimised or eliminated for navigational guidance both at Air Traffic Control room and aircraft cockpit", he told reporters.
The system would enhance safety and efficiency of aircraft operations through better situational awareness and safety alerts/tools for the Air Traffic Controllers, he said.
Under ISRO's guidance, AAI had installed ground reference stations in 15 strategic locations across the country and all airports would be networked through them. The national GAGAN Centre would be located in Bangalore.
Apart from air navigation applications, GAGAN would also be useful to other service providers like the Indian Railways, Survey of India, Geological Survey of India, Archaeological Survey of India and others. The Navy and Indian Coast Guard could also use the facility, he said.
As the swathe area would be from South Africa to Australia, AAI was holding discussions with airline operators in Asian, African and Eastern countries on utilising the services of GAGAN commercially.
Earlier commissioning the Air Traffic Signal Automation at the airport here, he said, Tiruchirappalli was the first among the 38 A-Grade airports to get the facility. The work was in various stages in other 37 airports. "Very shortly, Madurai will be completed".
The automation would facilitate automatic exchange of flight information between adjacent Air Traffic Control centres, including Chennai and Thiruvananthapurm.
District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan said a proposal on expansion of the airport here would be submitted to the state government in two weeks.
