IAF Radar Controllers Co-located at Bangalore International Airport

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has co-located IAF radar controllers with Airport Authority of India (AAI) radar controllers at the Kempegowda International Airport Bangalore (KIAB), to facilitate simultaneous operations from KIAB and the Yelahanka air base.

The IAF conducts ab-initio flying training for its fledgling aviation on transport aircraft and helicopters at Yelahanka air base adjacent to KIAB. IAF had transferred a large portion of its airspace to KIAB earlier to facilitate operationalisation of the first runway at the international airport.

The proximity between Yelahanka and the new runway at KIAB requires aircraft from both airfield to fly accurately to ensure that specified minimum radar separation between two aircraft is not infringed. This will be the first time in the country that military and civil radar controllers are being co-located for providing radar control services within the respective airspaces. “Co-location will facilitate dynamic co-ordination between the controllers, which will not only enhance safety of operations but also ensure exploitation of the second runway at KIAB to its full potential,” read a statement from the government.

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) is among the fastest growing airports in the World and it is estimated that 65 million passengers per annum will use the airport as a transit point by 2024–2025. Key to handling the forecast growth of civil aviation is the second runway made operational recently at KIAB with the active support of Indian Air Force.

A Joint Working Group (JWG) was constituted by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) comprising members of Indian Air Force, Airport Authority of India(AAI), Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) and MoCA to formulate procedures for safe conduct of operations without compromising on civil/military operational requirement at both the airports. The JWG had several meetings in the last few years to gradually evolve safe operational procedures, supported at the apex level by Air HQ and all the stakeholders.