Page 209 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

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INTRODUCTION

Air transport plays a key role in the modern, The use of performance based navigation
globalised economies, not just in terms of being can lead to an optimum descend flight profile
the fastest and the most reliable means of thereby reducing the aircraft noise and fuel
transport but as a key enabler for the economic burn, aircraft can operate on most optimal
growth and development of countries. Air routing, airspace capacity can be increased
transport is a network industry which connects significantly and thereby the aircraft getting
the different geographical areas of the world to optimum cruising level and thereby saving on
facilitate economic transactions between them, precious fuel and carbon emissions.
and therefore is a cause as well as effect of
economic growth. Air transport has shown consistent high
levels of growth in India in last two decades
The growth in the aviation sector has put and this trend is expected to continue in the
pressure on the aviation systems like never next few decades as well with about 10%
before thus creating problem of congestion growth projected in the next two decades.The
across the world which further adds to the Government has announced a comprehensive
environmental problems of GHG emissions National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016
and noise pollution.The focus of aerospace to address the challenges in the sector so as
technologies has been on continuous to achieve the growth potential. The NCAP
improvement in fuel efficiency and reduction targets to create an ecosystem to enable 300
in noise and CO emissions by the aircraft. million domestic ticketing by year 2022 from
2
However, climate change is today a very serious the current figure of 70 million and to further
challenge and therefore sustainability is the key increase the same to 500 million by 2027[1].
word for all future technological advancements. The traffic growth of such magnitude warrants
One of the reasons for airspace congestion significant ramp-up of airspace and airports
has been the gap between the airborne and capacity.
ground based technologies, whereby the
existing navigation capabilities of the modern In last decade, we have created Greenfield
aircraft are not fully utilized resulting in sub- airports of Hyderabad and Bengaluru and
optimal flight profiles and longer routing, both modernization of Delhi and Mumbai was
adding significantly to the carbon as well as completed successfully through public-private
noise footprint of civil aviation. A considerable partnership creating world class international
reduction in overall emissions along with airports in the country, which aided the current
capacity enhancement can be achieved by growth in the sector. In order to sustain the
adopting efficient operational procedures and projected growth of air traffic serious efforts
airspace design utilizing the existing technologies would be required to create new green field
of the modern aircraft for optimal flight profiles. airports as well as upgrade the existing airports

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