An overlooked factor of flight safety in India

In November 2023, a Vistara A320 and an Ethiopian Airways B787 aircraft experienced two aircraft collision avoidance system (ACAS) alerts one after the other at Delhi’s terminal 3.

- Anjuli Bhargava

The two aircraft — one was about to land and the other was taking off — were saved from potential disaster by bad weather and wind-shear conditions that necessitated a go-around by one of them, averting a collision.

The final report of this incident has just been released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and it squarely blames the high workload and stress faced by the air traffic controllers (ATCs) — the backroom boys of the aviation landscape — who are often forgotten, unlike the commanders and crew who remain at the forefront.

This is not the first near-accident attributed to fatigue or excessive workload among ATCs. Just like the crew, ATCs also work under immense pressure, which has increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. Akin to flight inspectors and other similar cadres in aviation, they are an important undergird of flight safety.

But, India faces a serious shortage of ATCs: Against a total sanctioned strength of 5,537, it only has around 4,000. Moreover, whether the sanctioned strength itself meets the necessary number of personnel is a moot question.