Airspace: CAA signs contract for radar replacements
Regulator’s revenue set to get boost with enhanced air traffic capacity.
KARACHI:
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has decided to install new radars in the country in the next 18 months, according to a statement issued by the regulator. A contract in this regard for purchasing and installing new radars was signed on Monday.
CAA Deputy Director General Air Vice Marshal Khawar Hussain said that the provision of navigational facilities to airlines was a major source of foreign exchange for the authority. “Installation of the new radars will not only double Pakistan’s air traffic capacity but it will also increase CAA’s revenue,” he said.
The signing ceremony for the purchase and installation of new radar system was held at the CAA headquarters in Karachi. According to the contract – worth $9.6 million – the first phase will include replacement of old primary and secondary radars at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi and the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore with new ones. Radars at other locations will also be replaced within the next 18 months, according to the contract
Talking to the media, Hussain said that the installation of the new radar system will not only improve the quality of coverage and increase the safety of flights but will also double Pakistan’s air traffic capacity . “Changing the current radars will reduce the distance between aircraft, hence accommodating more planes in Pakistan’s air space at one time,” he said.
He added that in the next three years, CAA’s communications, navigation and surveillance system will be completely upgraded.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2014.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has decided to install new radars in the country in the next 18 months, according to a statement issued by the regulator. A contract in this regard for purchasing and installing new radars was signed on Monday.
CAA Deputy Director General Air Vice Marshal Khawar Hussain said that the provision of navigational facilities to airlines was a major source of foreign exchange for the authority. “Installation of the new radars will not only double Pakistan’s air traffic capacity but it will also increase CAA’s revenue,” he said.
The signing ceremony for the purchase and installation of new radar system was held at the CAA headquarters in Karachi. According to the contract – worth $9.6 million – the first phase will include replacement of old primary and secondary radars at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi and the Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore with new ones. Radars at other locations will also be replaced within the next 18 months, according to the contract
Talking to the media, Hussain said that the installation of the new radar system will not only improve the quality of coverage and increase the safety of flights but will also double Pakistan’s air traffic capacity . “Changing the current radars will reduce the distance between aircraft, hence accommodating more planes in Pakistan’s air space at one time,” he said.
He added that in the next three years, CAA’s communications, navigation and surveillance system will be completely upgraded.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2014.