Indian Air Force radar controllers to work at BIAL

The Indian Air Force will soon deploy some of its radar controllers at the Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) to enhance the safety of flight operations.

The move will ensure the exploitation of the airport’s planned second runway to its full potential, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement.

The air force radar operations will work side-by-side with radar controllers employed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) at the airport.

“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,” the MoD said.

The air force believes the move will facilitate air operations from both the airport and the nearby Yelahanka airforce station. The IAF conducts initial pilot training for transport aircraft and helicopters at the airbase.

“The proximity between Yelahanka and the new runway at BIAL requires aircraft from both airfields to fly accurately to ensure that specified minimum radar separation between two aircraft is not infringed,” the MoD said.

The Kempegowda International Airport 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 2024-25. Key to handling the forecast growth of civil aviation is the second runway made operational recently at the airport with the active support of Indian Air Force.

The air force had previously transferred a large portion of its airspace to BIAL to facilitate the operationalisation its first runway.