IANS | 12 Feb, 2024
Aviation watchdog DGCA has undertaken a review of its existing
requirements and safety measures in place for runway safety and
prevention of runway incursions, an official said on Monday.
This
comes after the Japan Airlines (JAL) aircraft collided with the Coast
Guard plane on Runway C while landing on January 2, with both aircraft
catching fire. All 379 people aboard the JAL flight escaped before it
was engulfed in flames, but five of the six crew on the Coast Guard
plane died while the surviving pilot sustained serious injuries.
The
Coast Guard plane, which belonged to the Haneda Airport base, was
taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas
after a series of temblors of up to 7.6 magnitude struck central Japan
on January 1.
"Consequently, DGCA has issued Air Safety Circular
2/2024 outlining Mitigation strategies for Runway Incursion Risk. This
is based on the analysis of safety data and output of National Aviation
Safety Plan India," said the Director General of DGCA, Vikram Dev Dutt.
The
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed to ensure
comprehensive training for Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Aircraft
Maintenance Engineers (Clear to Taxi), and Drivers operating inside the
airport.
The circular further directed to ensure adherence to standard procedures by all involved personnel/ stakeholders.
"Adoption
of technological interventions to improve situational awareness,
thereby assisting Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other stakeholders to
identify the traffic within the manoeuvering area," the circular stated.
The
DGCA said that ATC should ensure that stop bars are switched on to
signal a stop and switched off to indicate traffic may proceed.
"In
no case, aircraft or vehicles be instructed to cross illuminated red
stop bars. Aerodrome, ATC and airlines should implement contingency
measures to cater to unserviceable stop bars," said the circular.
The
DGCA further also directed to recognise the influence of human factors
on performance, which may contribute to runway incursions and establish a
Runway Safety Team at all aerodromes and ensure their effective
functioning.
"The rate of runway incursions is on a decreasing
trend. However, by adhering to the actions specified in this circular
and maintaining a proactive approach among all stakeholders, the risk of
runway incursions may be reduced further," the circular added.
