The state government officials who visited three US cities on a study tour have sought a Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) system for better traffic management between the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) and the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Mumbai will be the first city in the country to have two international airports. The airports will have to share passenger and cargo traffic in the coming years. After observing the functioning of the airports in Washington,New York and Miami,officials from the Urban Development Department and the City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) concluded that the sharing of air traffic has to be preplanned by agencies. There is a need to plan the air traffic division between the two airports. We have learnt that from this visit. It is not very advisable to leave it to agencies operating the airports, CIDCO managing director Tanaji Satre said. Officials said in Washington,where Reagan International airport is located in the city near the White House and Dulles International Airport in the outskirts,the air traffic is divided between the American airline operators and international operators. A senior government official said international airlines have already shown interest in operating out of NMIA,especially those operating in the US and the UK. There is huge demand for flights for these regions and the late night hours are best suited to them. There are limitations on the number of flights that can be permitted in the late night hours from CSIA. Some of the operators may want to shift to NMIA during the same time slot, he said. Officials are also preparing to recommend the TRACON system to the civil aviation ministry. The TRACON handles air traffic control over almost 50 miles,as against the control of the ATC towers over about 10 miles. We have ATC towers that cover the area around the airport,but TRACON covers a larger area comprising both the airports. It is needed to monitor air traffic. Moreover,we anticipate growth in general private air traffic. It can also be managed through TRACON, one of them said.
