IGI clears time test with flying colours

NEW DELHI: For long, the Indira Gandhi International Airport has been called a world-class facility. Now it has added another feather in its cap by being placed among the top 10 performers.
Despite its soaring daily flight operations, the airport recorded one of the best On-Time Performance ( OTP) parameters in the world for three months in a row.

With the approaching winter, the operator aims to maintain this consistency. To achieve this, the airport Collaborative Decision Making ( CMD) has been augmented to improve Air Traffic Flow and Capacity Management ( ATFCM) by reducing delays, improving predictability of events and optimising the utilisation of resources.

OTP is recorded when a flight takes off from its originating airport on time and lands at the destination exactly at the scheduled time.

According to DIAL, Delhi airport has been among the top 10 airports for best OTP for three consecutive months from July to September, 2015.

Even in October the airport recorded one of its best OTPs with domestic departures scoring 90% on-time performance, while arrivals were recorded at 80%.

At the same time, the international traffic too recorded 80% on-time departures and arrivals 74%. The overall OTP in the month of October remained 88% for departure and 78% for arrival.

A few of the common factors that affect on-time performance include late arrival, faults in airline operation, technical problems, connecting crew and apron traffic. This also leads to delay of incoming flights.

Airport sources, however, say that on-time performance is expected to witness a dip with the arrival of the foggy season.

"CDM is all about the airport and aircraft operators, ground handlers and the ATC working together more efficiently and transparently. One of the main outputs of CDM will be more accurate 'Target Take Off Times' which can be used to improve air traffic movements even during foggy days. Even if arrival OTP is bad, the airport will be helping flights meet the departure OTP," said Marcel Hungerbuehler, chief operating officer of DIAL.