DGCA validating new radar at Mumbai airport to enhance passenger safety

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is in the process of validating the installation of the latest state-of-the-art radar at the Mumbai airport. The radar will help in enhancing passengers' safety and provide better efficiency in air services, airport officials said, as per a report by Shahkar Abidi in DNA. Airport insiders said the most important feature of the radar is its ability to make a particular aircraft visible on accurate real time to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) as well as to any nearby aircraft. Vital information such as velocity, altitude, weight and number of passengers will be transmitted every second from the aircraft to the ATC and other aircraft. This feature is called Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast.

At present, the ATC and pilots depend on the Primary Surveillance Radar (PSR) and Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR). While PSR determines an aircraft's specifications by calculating the time required for it to receive the wave or the reflected beam, SSR depends on the pilot’s reply from the aircraft. However, at times, both fail to deliver, insiders revealed.

“The DGCA is validating the new radar before giving it a go-ahead for commissioning,” said a senior official from Airports Authority of India. The official said the new radar will replace the PSR, which has been operational for the past 13 years.

Among the many benefits, the new radar will reduce voice communication between the pilot and ATC as communication will take place through an internal channel, similar to MS Office messenger. At present, all aircraft in airspace on the same frequency can listen to all communications. This leads to confusion and, in certain cases, to serious incidents. Communication will now be direct, in textual (template) form, and will be meant only for the intended pilot.

Also, with the existing radar, there are chances of data leakage. The new radar has smooth data link network and, therefore, no chance of data loss.

Relaunches 109-year-old steam engine on Kalka-Shimla heritage track by IRCTC

A 109-year-old British-era steam engine restarted operations over the weekend on the Kalka-Shimla heritage track with over 12 passengers, mostly foreigners on board, railway officials said. Considered to be an engineering marvel, locomotive KC 520, the only narrow-gauge steam engine that dates back to 1905, operated between Shimla and Kathlighat, Amar Singh Thakur, Commercial Inspector (Railways), was quoted as saying in an IANS report.

The one-way 22-km-long journey between the two stations, located on the Shimla-Kalka rail line that figures in UNESCO World Heritage Site list, takes more than one hour.

The steam engine-hauled train, being handled by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a wing of the Indian Railways, with two chartered coaches was booked for Rs 96,000, including taxes, Thakur said.

The Indian Railways in February last year rolled out the indigenously built coal-fired steam locomotive for the first time in over six years. This was for the second time since then that it was hired.

IRCTC officials said under the plan, any company or individual can hire a steam train comprising two to three coaches with a capacity to accommodate up to 40 people between Shimla and Kathlighat at a cost of Rs 80,000 plus 20 per cent Service Tax. Food is provided on board.

The British-era steam engine was recently repaired and restored in Amritsar.

The steam locomotives, which ferried Europeans to and from this hill town, the erstwhile summer capital of British India, were gradually phased out with the launch of diesel engines from 1952 onwards.

The ascent on the track begins from 2,100 ft above sea level at Kalka in Haryana and crosses Dharampur, Barog, Solan and Kandaghat before it reaches Shimla at 7,000 ft.

Passport Seva goes rural.

Services to be shortly launched in pilot mode at 15 select CSC in UP and Jharkhand...

The Ministry of External Affairs (MoEA) plans to reach Passport Seva to rural areas.

Getting a passport will be more easier through PSK

The MoEA, along with Common Services Centers (CSCs) will offer Passport related services through the vast network of over one lakh CSCs across rural hinterland.

The services would be shortly launched in pilot mode at 15 select CSC locations in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in the second week of March 2014. The full roll out across the country is expected to conclude by end of March 2014.

Under the Passport Seva, the MoEA has made it mandatory to complete the entire form filing process on-line, including payment of applicable fee and scheduling of appointment for seeking Passport related services. The CSCs would facilitate filling and uploading of Passport application form, payment of applicable fee and scheduling of appointment for the visit to the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) at nominal charge not exceeding US$1.63. As per the appointment schedule, an applicant will have to visit the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) for completion of application submission process. The services through CSCs would be available throughout the week, including during the weekend.

The CSC Scheme was approved by the Indian government in September 2006 for setting up of 100,000+ Internet enabled centers in rural areas under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). The CSCs are the delivery points for the government, private and social sector services in the areas of agriculture, health, education, banking, insurance, pension, utility bill payments, entertainment, etc. to rural citizens of India at their doorstep. The passport related services are being added as part of their bouquet of services.

AirAsia India could launch in May – CEO

Likely to get flying permit in three weeks

AirAsia India could launch its first flights in May 2014, according to its CEO.

Speaking to Indian newspaper The Hindu, Mittu Chandilya said he hopes to see progress within the coming weeks.

“We may get the air operator permit in about three weeks. Thereafter, we may commence operations in two months from Chennai,” Chandilya said in an interview in Chennai.

AirAsia India is a joint venture between Malaysia’s AirAsia and India’s Tata Group. It will operate both domestic and international flights from its base at Chennai, using a fleet of Airbus A320s.