Chennai: With Chennai being the nerve centre of south India’s air traffic system, Tuesday’s fire incident at the air traffic control (ATC) centre raises questions on the preparedness of authorities to face such emergency situations. “It is very important to maintain equipment and one cannot allow such a breakdown as Chennai handles the whole of southern airspace. Safety should be ensured,” Air Traffic Controllers Guild, India, president D.S. Raghavan told DC.
“Whatever be the reason, you cannot afford to have such a power breakdown at a sensitive place like Chennai, where air traffic controllers monitor and control all planes flying above 26,000 feet in the southern region,” he added. The ATC also controls the air space below 26,000 feet up to Tiruchy, 50 miles before Coimbatore, 60 miles before Bengaluru and 50 miles before Visakhapatnam.
13/03/13 S. Sujatha/Deccan Chronicle
