The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a Category-1 Public Sector Enterprise under the ownership of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. It is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India. It provides Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) services over the Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas. AAI currently manages a total of 137 airports, including 34 international airports, 10 Customs Airports, 81 domestic airports, and 23 Civil enclaves at Defense airfields. AAI also has ground installations at all airports and 25 other locations to ensure the safety of aircraft operations. AAI covers all major air routes over the Indian landmass via 29 Radar installations at 11 locations along with 700 VOR/DVOR installations co-located with Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). 52 runways are provided with Instrument landing system (ILS) installations with Night Landing Facilities at most of these airports and an Automatic Message Switching System at 15 Airports.
History The Government of India constituted the International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) in 1972 to manage the nation's international airports while the National Airports Authority of India (NAAI) was constituted in 1986 to look after domestic airports. The organizations were merged in April 1995 by an Act of Parliament, namely, the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994 and has been constituted as a statutory body and were named the Airports Authority of India (AAI). This new organization was to be responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure both on the ground and in airspace in the country
Major ongoing projects AAI's implementation of the Automatic Dependence Surveillance System (ADSS) at Kolkata and Chennai Air Traffic Control Centers made India the first country to use this technology in the Southeast Asian region thus enabling air traffic control over oceanic areas using satellite mode of communication. Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures have already been implemented at Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad Airports. AAI is implementing the GAGAN project in technological collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The navigation signals thus received from the GPS will be augmented to achieve the navigational requirement of aircraft. The first phase of the technology demonstration system was completed in February 2008.
Organizational structure AAI board consists of a chairman and five whole time members which are appointed by the central government. Director General of Civil Aviation is an ex-officio member of AAI board. Apart from this, AAI board also has part-time members. AAI is divided into five administrative regions, each headed by a Regional Executive Director (RED).AAI having its corporate headquarters at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, New Delhi is operating from its five regional headquarters namely-
Eastern Regional Headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal Western Regional Headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra Northern Regional Headquarters in Delhi, NCR Southern Regional Headquarters in Chennai, Tamil Nadu North-Eastern Regional Headquarter in Guwahati, Assam.
AAI has five training establishments, including three ATS training organizations (ATSTO) viz.
The Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Hyderabad Training Center (HTC) in Hyderabad, Telangana. National Institute of Aviation Training and Management (NIATAM) in Gondia, Maharashtra. Indian Aviation Academy (National Institute of Aviation Management and Research (NIAMAR) at Delhi (a joint venture of Airports Authority of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Govt of India) Fire Training Centers (FTC) in Delhi and Kolkata.
An Aerodrome Visual Simulator (AVS) has been provided at CATC and non-radar procedural ATC simulator equipment is being supplied to CATC Allahabad and Hyderabad Airport. AAI has a dedicated Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) with a fleet of three aircraft fitted with a flight inspection system to inspect Instrument Landing Systems up to Cat-III, VORs, DMEs, NDBs, VGSI (PAPI, VASI) and RADAR (ASR/MSSR). In addition to in-house flight calibration of its navigational aids, AAI undertakes flight calibration of navigational aids for the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other private airfields in the country.
Radio Construction & Development Unit
The Radio Construction & Development Unit (RCDU) is a specialized division under the AAI. It is responsible for the installation, calibration, maintenance, and restoration of critical Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) systems at airports across India. Headquartered at Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi, the unit plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of Indian civil aviation.Official AAI page on RCDU
RCDU was established to centralize and strengthen AAI’s technical capacity for CNS infrastructure. Over the years, it expanded its scope to include equipment lifecycle management, modernization, and international calibration support. The Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) ensures the accuracy of navigational aids through flight calibration.Official AAI page on FIUTimes of India article In addition to domestic projects, RCDU and FIU extend calibration services to neighbouring countries under bilateral agreements, supporting regional aviation safety.
Eastern Region The Eastern region of AAI controls 20 airports (including 12 non-operational airports) and four aeronautical communications stations. Eastern regional headquarters located in Kolkata, West Bengal, coordinates and controls the entire activities of all the airports and aeronautical communication stations listed below.
The Regional Executive Director (RED) of the Airports Authority of India is the Executive Head of the Eastern Region. He is the overall in charge of all activities (Operations, Security, Commercial, Safety, Finance & Administration) of the Eastern Region of the Airports Authority of India. The Eastern Region of the Airports Authority of India is presently headed by Ms. Nivedita Dube, Regional Executive Director.
Functions & responsibilities of Eastern regional departments of AAI
Communication, navigation, and surveillance
Among the FIRs (Flight Information Regions) in Indian Airspace, almost one-third of the entire Airspace is controlled/ managed by Kolkata ACC. The responsibility of providing ANS (CNS/ATM) infrastructure for this huge Airspace is undertaken by CNS, Kolkata with installations at Remote stations located in the Eastern & North- East Region and beyond. In fact, with active persuasion from CNS, Kolkata ADS-B data from COCO Islands & SITTWE in Myanmar is now integrated with the Kolkata Automation system.
The ANS infrastructure and data/voice connectivity (i.e. Communication, Navigation, Surveillance, and Automation) to manage this coverage is provided and maintained by CNS, Kolkata.
Facilities provided by CNS Kolkata
VHF/VCS Navaids Surveillance: Automation HF transmitter & receiver & HRFT CNS stores Upper airspace harmonization Single continuum upper airspace in Kolkata Integration of surveillance data & VHF in the ATS automation system Seamless surveillance coverage over Kolkata FIR Seamless VHF coverage over Kolkata FIR VHF coverage MPLS cloud architecture Advanced surface movement guidance control system (ASMGCS) Upgradation to CAT-iiib ILS with augmented ASMGCS facility
Aviation safety The Aviation Safety Directorate in the region takes care of many responsibilities which are essential for the functionality of the Airports. Like it performs safety audits of all eastern region airports including RCS airports and CNS vital installation stations and monitors all AVS-ER audit observations. It also conducts yearly Safety Management System (SMS) training and provides assistants to all field stations to conduct safety assessments of different projects whenever required. Apart from this, the Aviation Safety Directorate also conducts the quarterly Regional Safety Committee meeting, and yearly Aviation Safety Week and is responsible for the vetting of safety assessment documents of all Eastern Region Airports among others.
Operations
Operations Department consists of:
Management of Air-side, Terminal/City side, Slot Allocation & Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC), Public Grievances, RTI and Quality Management Issues
Functions of the Operations Department include:
To ensure serviceability of all operational/Passenger Facilities at all times at AAl Airports
Airside Management at all AAl Airports
Terminal Management of all AAl Airports
Commissioning and operationalization of AOCC at AAl Airports
Safety Management and coordination with all AAl Airports
Plan and project the requirements regarding construction/up-gradation of the aerodrome and related facilities for safe aircraft operations
To advise and assist top management in framing corporate policies on Terminal Management of all AAl airports.
Monitoring implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices (SARP's), and Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR's) formulated by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for Aerodrome Operations and Airport Management.
Coordinate with DGCA for safety assessment on the planning, construction& commissioning of changes to airport infrastructure, and maintenance programs.
Liaise at the apex level with the various ministries, regulatory bodies like DGCA and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and Immigration and Customs on issues related to Airport Management (Operations) and Aviation Security.
Allocating night parking stands to domestic flight operators at AAl Airports.
Drafting and issuance of Operational Circulars and Operational Instructions.
Monitoring the implementation of recommendations made by various courts of inquiries in respect of aircraft incidents/accidents.
Slot Management-Slot allocation for all the airlines operating domestic/ international flights.
Coordinate with Dept. of Engg. / Planning/ lT/ Security w.r.t. all planned/modification/repair works in the terminals.
Preparation of guidelines for MESS / ESS contracts.
Comprehensive/third-party liability insurance coverage for all assets at the airports.
Finalizing training programs for staff and officers of the Operations Department in coordination with the Indian Aviation Academy (IAA).
Handling of VVIP / VIP Movements and aircraft emergencies.
Engineering For any association Engineering Department is the spine that plane and executes different common and electrical attempts to give the infrastructural offices required. Here in the eastern Region Engineering Department does likewise for ATC/NAV-AIDS according to the necessity alongside legitimate checking and control of development and upkeep of runways/Taxiways/Apron and different structures and workplaces according to the prerequisite. At present work on the 51.4m-high ATC tower and 33.2-m key position in addition to a five-level specialized block at NSCBI Airport, Kolkata is under development. The ATS complex will be a 4-star Griha-evaluated green structure right from the development stage. Notwithstanding green practices like water reaping and a decrease in power load from 9,200 kW to 4,800 kW, the structure will likewise have a 31,000sqft green region. While the pinnacle tallness will increment from 34m to 51.4m, the floor region of the complicated will go up from 75,500 sqm to 2,84,000 sqm. The specialized square will house around 750 individuals, for the most part, regulators and designers. Likewise, there will be an office to leave 200 vehicles and 100 bikes.
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