Though Bangladesh’s airspace is increasingly getting crowded and busy, the civil aviation authorities are seemingly oblivious of taking measures to improve the system of air traffic management (ATM).
Outmoded equipment and a lack of adequate air traffic controllers (ATCs) also pose a significant threat to the safe operation of flights in the country’s airports.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), every day an average of 500 flights, taking off from other countries, pass through Bangladesh’s airspace. And the number of flights flying into and out of the country’s three major international airports is over 200.
Pilots fly a plane as per signals issued by ATCs of the country over which it passes. Secure flight operations can be ensured only when the pilots are provided with accurate information by the controllers, according to experts.
Pilots aside, the mental and physical fitness of ATCs are crucial to ensuring precision in the exchange of signals, they said.
As per the rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an ATC shall work for a maximum of two hours at a stretch, followed by a 30-minute break.
The authorities at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Kolkata, West Bengal operate their ATM in line with the ICAO standards. However, Dhaka has not yet been able to enforce the rules.
ATCs at Bangladesh’s airports have to work through breaks or beyond their shift because of lack of adequate human resources, revealing the ATM under severe strain.
During an inquiry, the Dhaka Tribune found that there are only 17 ATCs at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the country’s largest and busiest airport, whereas at least 50 ATCs are needed to handle the air traffic system in an uninterrupted and smooth manner.
It was found that an ATC at the airport works for more than six hours at a stretch during a day shift. At night, they work for around 12 hours.
There are four ATCs on each shift during the daytime. Of them, two are responsible for communicating with flights flying below 29,000 feet, and the other two communicate with flights flying at or above 29,000 feet. As there is no additional ATC to work during this time, the designated ATCs cannot rest or take breaks while on duty, sources at the airport said.
At night, there are only two ATCs in the control room, who work for nearly 12 hours at a stretch, they added.
Pilots are constantly required to communicate with ATCs. As the control tower is badly understaffed with an inadequate mix of skills, a fatal accident can take place anytime due to the smallest miscommunication between the cockpit and the tower, like the one that took place at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu in March, killing 49 people and injuring countless more, experts expressed their concerns.
Faulty radar system
Speaking of the antiquated technology at Shahjalal airport, a senior pilot of Biman Bangladesh Airlines said on condition of anonymity that the outdated and faulty radar system and technological equipment at the airport also posed a serious threat to flight safety.
“This is a grave risk for flights flying into and out of this airport.”
In recent times, Boeing has manufactured some advanced aircraft that can easily connect with radars and receive necessary signals without the help of ATCs, he said, adding that such aircraft have yet to be added to Biman’s fleet.
An official always remains deployed to handle and monitor the radar system from 7am to 11pm, but beyond this period the system remains inactive as there is no one to run it. On top of this, the system remains out of service every Saturday for some time from 12:30pm for maintenance work.
“CAAB receives money from all airline companies that use the country’s airports and airspace, but such negligence and poor services from the civil aviation authorities are never acceptable,” said Niranjoy Roy, manager (quality assurance and corporate safety) at Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
It is not true that a mere communication gap will never result in a deadly accident. There should be additional teams in the control towers to help ensure the safe operation of flights, CAAB Chairman Air Vice-marshal M Naim Hassan acknowledged.