CC/FAM/2017/01 August 8, 201 7

Sir,

The aviation industry in India has witnessed a phenomenal boom in the past and is poised for a quantum leap in the near future. The Indian Aviation has not only been neck to neck in growth with the global players, it is well placed to accelerate further. The phenomenal growth of air traffic has put extreme pressure on the whole civil aviation industry in India. The role of Air Traffic Control Officers in maintaining the safety records with constraints in infrastructure and inadequate automation is praiseworthy. Undenying the fact that they are extending all co-operation to AAI Management, Airlines and Government at this critical juncture.

(2) Having recruited over a two thousand A TCOS in the last 10 years is appreciated. At the same time proper training, skill enhancement and exposure to various situations like ensuring cockpit familiarization should be undertaken with utmost priority.

(3) Airports Authority oflndia management has viewed Familiarisation Flights for ATCOs as an unnecessary perk to them rather than an ICAO-mandated mandatory training procedure. (DOC 9426, Part IV, para 3.6) (Copy of relevant page attached). The Airlines management views this as something which causes loss of saleable flight seats especially when there is no pressure exerted either by the Ministry or the AAI. ATC Guild always maintained that A TCOs must appreciate the cock-pit workload and pilots must visit ATS Units for the same purpose for better understanding and co-operation between these two sets of very important aviation personnels. This will go a long way in resolving a lot of issues. This is prevalent in other countries.

( 4) In spite of the instructions issued by the DGCA in 2006 to Airline operators, there is virtually no progress in this matter (except Indigo Airlines complying to DGCA order) as AAI is not pursuing it with DGCA, Airlines and Ministry seriously. A bare fact is that there are many Radar Controllers having more than one decade experience who have not seen the cock-pit so far.

(5) The issue of Familiarization Flights for Air Traffic Controllers in Domestic and International sectors has been hanging on fire since 1997. The on-now-off-now status of the issue has long turned it into a farce. This is despite everyone in aviation acknowledging the benefits of ATCOs being familiarized with latest cockpits, cockpit procedures and Pilot' s workload.

Cont. page 2.

T-117, Pocket '8 ', INA Colony, Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110023 + Phone 24654571 +Fax 24619064 www.atcpuild.com

ATC Guild requests you to urgently look into this issue and make appropriate coordination with Ministry, DGCA and Airlines so that ATCOs in India get route familiarization flights in domestic and international sectors.

With regards,

Yours(!~

(D. K. Behera) General Secretary

Copy to:

L The Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, RG Bhawan, New Delhi for information and direction.

1' v!:J The Director General of Civil Aviation, Technical Centre, New Delhi-23 with a

-A \'rComplied with. c/'-.-~!· )Th~ Member (ANS), AAI, RG Bhawan, New Delhi for information and necessary

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2

Part IV.- A TS organization, administration and facility management Section I, Chapter 3.- Training and proficiency requirements /V-/ -3-5

Table 2.- Previous knowledge requirements

Type of course Previous knowledge Target group req uircmcnts

I) Periodic A TS Practical experience in ATS for Practising controllers who are refresher training up to five years on duty in A TS system course

2) Operational Advanced knowledge in A TS Controllers due for promotion management course

3) Supervisory course Extensive experience in a wide Potential candidates for range of A TC functions supervisory positions

4) Specialist. course Known experience and Controllers intended to assume inclination towards the special special functions in A TS field in question

5) Management course Practical experience in Unit chiefs and deputy chiefs, directing an A TC unit or in teachers, etc. training

3.6 FAMILIARIZAJ'ION FLIGHTS 3.6.4 A familiarization flight programme for ATC oper­ating personnel may be as follows:

3 .6.1 The objective of familiarization flights is to provide an opportunity for controllers, supervisors and A TS man­agement personnel to observe, at first hand, the working environment of pilots of large commercial aircraft and the methods and procedures used in the departure, en-route and arrival phase, including navigation techniques used. Familiarization flights also provide the opportunity to listen to air-ground communications and to assess how they affect a pilot's workload as well as the opportunity to monitor how well ATS units are performing.

3.6.2 Subject to economic and staffing considerations . and agreement by operators concerned, ATS authorities should make arrangements for controllers to undertake familiarization flights aboard both scheduled and ·non­scheduled commercial aircraft. As these flights require entry into the cockpit of the aircraft, permission to do so should be obtained from the operator concerned prior to the flight.

3.6 .3 Where familiarization flights are considered an operational requirement, they should be carried out in duty hours and taken as part of on-the-job training. Their

frequency should be dictated by operational consider­ations. For administrative purposes flights should include operations both during day and night; however, such flights should be completed normally within one day. A

written report should be submitted on the completion of a familiar ization flight.

a) aerodrome controller or approach controller - Fam­iliarization with the geographical features, significant points of his area of responsibility and standard instru­ment approaches to the aerodrome located in the area of responsibility . Liaison visits to neighbouring aerodromes;

b) area controller - Flight on a controlled ATS route in the area for which his ACC is providing service; fam­iliarization with geographical features and significant

points. Liaison visits to important aerodromes located in this area of responsibilities.

3.6.5 A familiarization flight programme for supervisory personnel may be as follows:

a) directors of air traffic control - Flight along ATS routes or areas where special requirements exist or may exist;

b) headquarter's chiefs and supervisors; ATC instructors at a training school - Flight along A TS routes or in

areas where special requirements exist;

c) regional senior supervisors, training and evaluation specialists - Flight along at least one main domestic A TS route of operational concern to the FIR should be made every 12 months. In addition a flight should be made on any A TS route on which a major change occurs in the route structure, including a flight on the flight deck of any new type of aircraft introduced on that route.

-

To

CfilJ J il 51{~ KANU GOHAIN

~ : 24620784 - : 24627830 ~/Fax : 24629221 email : dgofflce@dgca .nic .in

The Chairman . Arrporis Autho ri ty of Ind ia , Rajiv Gandhi Bne:wan . New Delhi - 110003.

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DIRECTOR GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION TECHNICAL CENTRE

OPPOSITE SAFDARJUNG AIRPORT New Delhi ·110 003

3ltf ~llti<t>'lq ~/D. o . No . 9/l8/20CD-IF ft;:ITq;/Dated the 25-07-2006

[Attn Sh ri Srik rish an Executive Oir·ector (ATM) ]

Subject : Rou te Familiarization for the ATCOs

1£ Sir .

This has reference to the discussion h.eld in the Ministry on the above subject.

In this conn ectro n. al l airlines have been su itably directed to provide 'fu ll coope ratibn to the A-1 COs . A copy of this offi ce letter of even number datecl 24-07 -20t)6 is enclosed

You are , however. requested to ensure that sufficient notice is given to the airlines for providing free seats to the ATCOs fo'r the purpose of route familiarization . You are also requested to adv ise the ATCOs who are detailed for duty to be in their proper uni fo rm and that they should also display their PICs inentl A system

"'illay also be devi sed where y proper de-briefing takas place immediately after com plet ion of th e fa miliariz.al lon flight by indiv idual ATCOs to their ~ Executive Supe rvr sory Off1cers ---­=.....::::::--

You rs faithfully .

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CfiT:! ' rh5 , { '""~ KANU GOHAIN

. 246 2078 •1 246278 30

~/Fax : 246 292 21 ema il : dgolfice@dgc ;:: .,;, ::

ASPER LIST ATTACHED

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9 I l ; j 2('!00- 1 R 24-07-2006

f~! .. , ,~u~ject;:::'R,ou~. Familiarization for the ATCOs .

' .: ~,.,!-;~ " Dear Sir:· You may recall that for proper understanding of the ATCOs with respecl to

operation of the schedu led airlines where often de lays are encountered for dep;:nture and arrival , it was decided that the airlines would provide fixed number of free passages for in-flight route familiarisa tion to ATCOs This exercise of in fl ight route familiarizat ion req uires entry of ATCOs into the cockpit for better apprec1r.Jt1on of the problems faced by flight crew with re\~i<Hd to ATC instructions on fl igh t progress etc.

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However, it has been brought to ou r notice that prope r :acilitation ~~. r1o t bHnc_; provided to the A TCOs for the purpose This has been viewecJ seriously by thi s office. You are , therefore once again be l n~J d1rectecl to extend full cooper;:1t1 u11 111 !!i1s regard by provid ing a seat to the ATCOs in the cockpit as wel l r:1s 1n the ca t2i_u__on fr•' ·r:> passage bas is. whenever they aFedetailed for the above""pu rpu se

'Please acknowledge receipt and confi rm act ion taken 1n the mat ter

~)\Cv ---=---v h~, : Director General of Civil Av(a.oor1-·

I I I I I

Alliance A ir , Domestic Arrival Te rm . 1

51 Floor , L .G .I. Airport .

New Delhi- 110037 . (Att . Shri De_epak Brara , M .O )

2 . Jet Airways (I nd ia) Pvt Ltc! .. 41/42 , Marker Chambers Ill , Nariman Point. Mumbai - 400021 (Att Shri Saroj Datta , Execut1ve Director)

5 . M /s Go A ir ( lnr.:J1a) Priva te Limited P;:lpe r Box House . M<tll i1ka!i Caves Andhen East . Mumbai - 44 00093 (Att Shr i J Wadia. Chai rman)

6 . M/s Kingfisher Ai rlines Limited U .B. House . F-44 , NOSE Part-1 , New Delh i - ·11 004SJ . ( Att . Shri SanJay Bc-ll1adur . HPad Cor ~ orat e .A.ff ;:;1irs)

Sahara India Airl ines 7 . itiR(Wetii~11~·3'1f.!. ;· FJoo~~ort'Gopal Das Bhawan

Sp tceJe t ltd .. Cargo Complex ,

4 .

.. · ~ 28, Barakhamba Road j:: New Delhi-110001 .

(Att. Sh. Alok Sharma , Sr Vice President

Deccan Aviation Pvt. Ltd . Jakkur Aerodrome, Bellary Road . Bangalore- 560064 . (Alt . CaP,t Gop inath)

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Indira Gandhi International Airport , Terminal-! , New Delhi- 110037 (Alt. Shri S idhCJnta Sha nna . M 0 )

Pa ramount A irways Pvt . Ltd .. Ra ja Na rayan Towers . 70 . Race Couse . Coirnba tore - 641018 .

' (Alt. Shri Thyagrajan . CMD)

~ rit-grt·~f KANU GOHAI N

: 2462 0[bC. . 2462H:it '

~/F ax 246:C ·,p;· ·. cma ll · dgofficP~~<l, ; · ·

AS PER LIST ATTACHED

Route Familianzat1on for the ATCOs ·,,

'Dear Sir,

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You may recall that for proper unclerstandtng of the ATCOs with res pect tc operation of the sched uled airli nes where ofte n delays are encountered for departur•:· and arrival, . it was decided that the airlines would provide fixed number of frc"' passages fo r in-flight route famili ar is at ion to ATCOs. This exercise of inflight rou!c familia nzation req u1res entry of ATCOs 1nto the cockpi t for better appre c: 1al1on of 111...-~

problems faced by flight crew with req;.1rd to ATC 1nst r ,xt1011~. en fligh t pro~·Jrc~ss •:! r-

However . it has been brough t tc' t) lll not1ce the1t proper iCJclllt<-1lio rl 1s 'H~I :~~-~ . ·· ,

prov ided to the ATCOs for the purpose. ' You are. therefNe . once e:l ~Jain be: ; :~; I requested to d irec he concerned officers in your orq an!zat1o n to PxteiHi t. '

cooperation 1n th is regard by provid 1110 <l sl?a t to the i\TCOs 1n the cockp1t as ',vel! ,, .. in the cabin on free pass age bas1s . whenever thE:V are c!etailed for the db(1vr purpose

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Air India . Air India Building . Nariman Point. Mumbai - 40002 1 .

(Kind Att : Shri Thulas1 Das . CMD~

Manag ing Director. Air India Express. Air India Building. 21st Floor. Nariman Point . Mumbai - 40002 1.

(Kind Att: Shri Thulasi Das . CMD)

(Att . Shri Vishwapati Trivedi , CMD)