The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Monday added two new B-360 type of aircraft having advanced state-of -the -art Flight Inspection system into the AAI Flight Inspection Fleet. This has been done to match the flying requirement for Flight Calibration of the increased number of Ground Navigational/landing aids installed at airports in India and PBN Procedures validation.
With this, the AAI will be well-equipped to efficiently carry out flight calibration of the Ground Radio Navigational/visual aids at all Indian airports. Additionally, AAI will extend its support by conducting flight calibrations in neighboring countries, which will also result in revenue generation.
The induction of the new aircraft was flagged off by Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh, among others.
“AAI has inducted two new B-360 type of aircraft equipped with advanced technology into the AAI Flight Inspection Unit’s Fleet. Flight calibration services ensure efficient and safe operation of aircraft by validating various Air Navigation Services Procedures,” Scindia said.
The new aircraft will be employed in calibrating a wide range of systems and aids, including Category I, II, and III Instrument Landing Systems, DVORs, DME, NDB, Radar, GBAS, PAPI, and TACAN, among others. Additionally, they will be tasked with validating RNP and LPV procedures, as well as Instrument Approach Letdown procedures for DVOR/DME and ILS.
AAI’s Flight Inspection Unit
The Flight Inspection Unit is a crucial component in the safety chain of Airports Authority of India’ Air Navigation Service throughout the Indian airspace. Flight Inspection ensures the best international standards as set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Currently, the Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) of AAI utilizes one Dornier-228 and one B-350 aircraft for the purpose of Flight Calibration and Inspection. These aircraft are responsible for calibrating various navigational aids such as Doppler VOR, DME, and NDB, as well as landing aids like Instrument Landing Systems and Precision Approach Path Indicators at numerous airports.
Scindia inaugurates ‘Udaan Bhawan’
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated ‘Udaan Bhawan’ an integrated office complex at Delhi’s Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi. The complex will house DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security), AERA (Airports Economic Regulatory Authority), AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) and AAI (Airports Authority of India). The integrated office complex has been built at a cost of Rs 374.98 crore.
The ministry said It can house 1,270 officials. It features modern amenities such as conference rooms, AV system, IT infrastructure, parking management system, yoga room, creche facility, & EV charging, among others.
Scindia also launched the Bharatkosh Advance Deposit (e-wallet) facility for the civil aviation ministry. It will “simplify” payments for regulatory approvals on Bharatkosh portal. “It will enable users to pre-fund their accounts using NEFT/RTGS initially, & offers the convenience of generating instant receipts & challans,” the ministry said.
