Air Traffic Control tower planned at Tiruchi airport

TIRUCHI: A 35 to 40 metres high air traffic control tower is likely to come up at the Tiruchi Airport as part of the modernisation programme, Airport Director S.Sreekumar has said.

The Airports Authority of India has taken up a massive development and modernisation of 35 non-metro airports of which Tiruchi airport is one . A terminal building has already been built at the airport, he pointed out.

The AAI has incurred a capital expenditure of Rs.1,980.23 crore during 2007-08 for developing the infrastructure of the airports , Mr.Sreekumar said speaking at a function to mark the Foundation Day of the AAI here on Wednesday.

The AAI has appointed a consultant to examine and submit a report on the feasibility of operationalising 32 non-functional airports in the country. It has also taken up a major communication systems and air traffic management project christened, GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation), in association with the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The project, which seeks to introduce a satellite navigation system, is planned to be completed this year and once commissioned India will be only the fourth country in the world to have such a system.

Aviation hub


The AAI, which was recently accorded the status of ‘mini ratna,’ among public sector organisations, was working towards making India an aviation hub of the Asia Pacific by 2016, he said.

M.Chidambaram, Director, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, commended the efforts taken by AAI towards strengthening the aviation infrastructure of the country on par with international standards. M.Shivaraju, Deputy General Manager, Engineering (Civil), AAI, gave an overview of the development projects taken up at the airport and said a new category VIII Fire Station was being built at the airport.

World class


K.Shivakumar, Deputy General Manager, Air Traffic Control, said the AAI, which came into existence in 1995 after the government felt the need for an integrated organisation to manage the airports and air traffic, was offering world class services.

M.K.Ramachandran, Assistant Manager (Personnel and Administration), AAI, also spoke.