Manish Gajbhiye
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport is technologically equipped and can fully cater to domestic as well as International air services. The Airport with the facilities of international standards is waiting for a long time for services to various destinations in the country and to International service, especially to the Buddhist circuit countries.
The city airport presently has all the facilities and the runway expansion will be done soon. Still, why there is apathy in the aviation sector towards the city, question the experts from the aviation sector.
Runway Turn Pad
A few years back, a runway turn pad was established at the Chhatrapati Sambhahinagar Airport. This has enabled the operation of big flights. A turn pad is a defined area on a land aerodrome adjacent to a runway for the purpose of completing a 180-degree turn on a runway for a flight. Earlier, the flights coming from Mumbai had to go towards the Shendra area and then take a U-turn and land on the runway. Now, due to the turn pad, the flights land directly on the runway. It saves fuel and also reduced air pollution.
Instrument Landing System
The airport has the latest Instrument Landing System (ILS), a radio navigating system that provides directions to the aircraft to approach the runway while landing. This system enables the flight to land on the runway from a distance of 900 mts even during poor visibility standards.
GNSS, GPS/IRNSS system
Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Global Positioning System (GPS)/Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) have been enabled in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of the airport. This system gives a three-dimensional image to the pilot in the aircraft for the accurate landing of the flight. It clearly indicates the latitude, longitude and height of the flight from the runway. It has improved the landing standards from earlier 1,000 meters to 600 mts now.
Reflection strips
Considering the threat of birds to the flights, reflection strips have been installed on the runway. The birds think that these strips are snakes and do not wander near the runway, which reduced the threat of birds to the flights.
Radar system
The Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) is a radar system used to detect and display the presence and position of aircraft. It helps the passengers to know the location, current position, and destination of the flights on the display board.
Facilities of international standards
Presently, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Airport has all the required technology to operate the flights. We are equipped even to operate big flights like Boeing 377, 747, Air Bus 340, AN 124, and others. We have all the safety equipment at the airport and the latest navigation system.
- Vinayak Katke, Asst. General manager (ATC)