Manish Gajbhiye
Aurangabad, Dec 6:
Once considered as the means of travel of the elite class and a luxurious commodity, civil aviation has undergone several changes for over three to four decades. Now, even the common lot fly frequently by air due to the affordable fares provided by the airlines.
Considering the theme of the International Civil Aviation Day is celebrated across the globe on December 7, a review of the changing scenario in the city aviation sector over the years has been taken. A small terminal building at the Chikalthana Airport has been replaced with a big terminal building, equipped with all the latest facilities of international standards.
Airport director D G Salve said, the aviation sector has undergone several changes due to the advancement in technology. All the procedures at the Airport are available online to the passengers. Right from reservations to getting the boarding passes are available online now. This has helped the passengers to save their time. The flight information at the Airport is given on the digital boards. Similarly, safety and security have also increased at the airport premises, Salve said.
Aviation expert, Ahmed Jaleel said, with the entry of more private players in the aviation industry, healthy competition has increased. As a result, the passengers have benefited. Air travel has become more affordable as compared to earlier years. Each airline is trying to provide better and more amenities to the passengers to attract them. The air traffic in the city has increased considerably over the years and will continue to increase furthermore. Provided, the city needs to be branded as a tourism hub or conferences and industry destination, Jaleel said.
Changes in flights
Around 30 years back, the flights used to make roaring noises, which was an irritating experience for the passengers. With the advancement in the internal structure of the flights, the passengers are now experiencing noise and turbulence-free travel. Various sizes of flights are available according to the seating capacity. There are flights available from 60 seaters to 325 seaters in the domestic aviation industry at present.
Landing facilities
Earlier, the meteorological department used to give weather reports generated from manual machines. Now, the radar technology provides accurate weather reports which help for a smooth landing. Instrument landing system (ILS), provides short-range guidance to aircraft to approach a runway even at night or in bad weather, which ensures safe landing. Similarly, there are lights along the runway which helps the pilot to visualize it.
Safety and Security
Advanced technology has brought drastic changes in airport security. The entire Chikalthana Airport premises have been covered under the surveillance of the CCTV cameras and a strict vigil is kept through the control room. The passengers, before the advent of advanced security checks, had to spend hours at the airport checking their luggage. Airport X-ray scanners have reduced the time taken for checking. The dangerous goods can be identified immediately due to the detectors at the entrances.