Vacant posts in AAI's comm, navigation wing raise concerns

India may have modernised its air traffic management services but lack of adequate manpower is raising major air safety risk, according to an outfit representing AAI employees.
Of the 3,250 sanctioned posts, about 840 posts in the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) wing of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), state-run airport operator and navigational service provider, are lying vacant.
AAI has installed whole lot of new CNS facilities -- 15 Instrument Landing System ILS, 13 radars, 38 ATS Automation systems, 14 ADS-B, 3 ASMGCS-- since 2009.
However, the increase in number of flights to various airports have stretched the watch hours for the CNS staff deployed there.

The CNS Officer's Guild, in a September 17 letter, appealed to the AAI Board to remove this crisis of manpower shortage in the organisation.
"The CNS executives are overburdened and are under tremendous stress and fatigue. The scarce available manpower is being rotated, combined and/or at times facilities are left unmanned.
"This is highly dangerous and against the interest of aviation safety. It is therefore, our earnest appeal to the Hon'ble Board Members of AAI to expedite the creation of additional manpower in CNS Discipline," said Subit Kobiraj, General Secretary the Guild.
The Guild says there is a need for around 1,200 additional personnel.