TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2005 09:24:13 AM ]
NEW DELHI: If the explosion of brands and cars on Indian roads are creating a scary scenario, look upwards and imagine the same happening in the Indian skies.
The dizzying expansion of airlines and the near-doubling of planes are becoming a security and safety hazard. Planes could soon be elbowing each other for air space and jostling for parking slots on the already crammed airports as ill-equipped control towers with insufficient staff deal with a growing swarm of aircraft.
INCREASED TRAFFIC :
International aircraft movements have increased by nearly 63 per cent in the last five years, reaching close to 1.6 lakh in 2004-2005. Domestic movements in the same period registered a 64 per cent increase. Civil aviation minister Praful Patel expects the airline sector to boom 20 per cent annually over the next five year, with investments pegged at $20 billion. Overflights are slated to grow at an even higher pace.
At last count, nearly 300 new planes were likely to be inducted by various airlines over the next three to four years.
In the next few months, 50 of these big birds will come in as three new airlines prepare to take off. This, industry insiders fear, will lead to a severe shortage of parking bays at airports.
But the Airports Authority of India (AAI) pooh-poohs these doomsday scenarios. "We are in the process of creating additional parking bays at most major airports".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1110615.cms