AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AS AIR SAFETY HAZARDS

MANOJ JAIN

 

The rate of growth in Air Traffic in India has been unprecedented. Although considering the total traffic we may still be far behind than most of the advanced countries but these countries laid down the infrastructure first and bought the aircraft later. We have just done the reverse. We simply do not have the trained Pilots similarly we do not have the trained Controllers. Air misses? Yes Chalta Hai .One way Scenario is very good as nobody complains about anybody but the Air safety is merciless butchered. Trained & experienced controllers fed up of taking up the petty issues with the bold management edge out and take up cushiony jobs in the ‘Bold Management’ itself. With the rotten Air space designs and with no support systems available with the controllers the Air Traffic continues. Foundations laid down with the new Controllers teach them to be discourteous, brash and to give maximum possible delays to ease out the miserable conditions they are forced to work with. With No Canteen or Pantry service available and some major Area Control Centers even complaining of proper chairs the scenario remains ‘Interesting’. Some other interesting areas are controllers performing extra duties. In Metros wherein time to commute to workplace is quite some the controllers commute twice in a day to the workplace to perform extra duties. There are no duty time limitations for the controllers in India. Human factors? Air safety? Yes it is good but What is Air safety ?.

 

Air Operations as all of us know are kept inside the security and safety layers. It has already been punctured with the sudden and unexpected rise of Air Traffic. The blinds and the deaf working in Aviation are making the scene further ‘interesting’. The controllers in India are paid cheaply even less than the arch rivals Pakistanis or Bangladeshis or even Nepalis. With no social life for self and families the controller contributes majorly in the growth of Aviation but when it comes to share the fruits his cake is stolen and snatched. In the era of such a growth he ‘fights’ for a petty familiarization flight. In the era of mandatory medical checks he fights for a proper rest room and a chair. The blinds and the deaf rules. Although guilty, the blinds and the deaf pretend to have the last laugh. The Air traffic continues safe?, orderly? and expeditiously?. What should be done by the blinds and the deaf how the situation can be made further ‘interesting’?

- Do not recruit supporting staff.

- Do not plan for better environment to work with.

- Do not restructure the Airspace.

- Do not make more bays.

- Wait for another Charkhi Dadri to happen.

- Force Controllers to work extra hours.

- Declare them as unskilled labour.

- Cancel all their leaves or tell them to re-plan whenever they apply for leave.

- Conduct more Hindi meetings.