Fireman guides plane to land in absence of ATC at Tirupati airport

CHENNAI: "Good morning ATC. This is flight 9W 2761... flight level 200," radioed a pilot of the Hyderabad-Tirupati Jet Airways flight with 60 passengers on board as it approached the Tirupati airport at 7.30am on January 9. At the other end, inside the air traffic control tower of the airport, it was a fireman who replied.

As neither of the two air traffic controllers supposed to be on duty had turned up, fireman Basha called up airport deputy manager Janarthanan who instructed him to take control of the ATC.

Taking directions from the AAI official over the phone, Basha entered the ATC tower and operated the radio. Speaking in broken English, he gave the pilot the information needed for a safe landing.

Pilots coming in to land at the Tirupati airport, which has minimal landing support equipment, rely mostly on visual approach and inputs from the ATC.

The airport handles seven flights daily, but doesn't have an approach radar. An air traffic controller is posted in shifts to tell the pilot about runway conditions, weather, wind speed and wind shear before giving the clearance to land.