Page 210 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY VISION 2035

for enhancing the capacities. At present there transport will therefore be driven by reduction
are about 133 airports in the country which in carbon footprint and aircraft noise, capacity
include 24 international airports, 8 customs enhancement, and safety of air transport system.
airports, and 101 domestic airports[2]. Besides
these, there are about 400[3] unused landing As the aircraft is the central element of
strips in the country which are owned by state air transport and source of all the noise
governments/other entities. Revival of these and carbon emissions, the focus of future
unused strips is a key proposal under NCAP in aircraft technologies would be in meeting the
order to enhance regional connectivity. objectives of sustainable air transport through
reduced noise and carbon emissions. The basic
India has embarked upon a serious technology consideration of all the aircraft technologies
drive to upgrade its Air Navigation Services remains to be on:
(ANS) infrastructure and technologies in
order to enhance the airport and airspace i) reduction in drag and aircraft weight for
capacity. Airports Authority of India (AAI) reduction in fuel burnt
which is responsible for provision of ANS ii) improved propulsive and thermal efficiency
in the country has taken up restructuring of of the engines
airspace in the country along with investment
in Air Traffic Management (ATM) automation, iii) improved navigation performance so as to fly
radar surveillance systems, reduced separation shortest path
requirements in performance based airspace iv) to increase airspace capacity through
design, as well as space based technologies like reduced separation minimums
ADS-B (Automated Dependant Surveillance-
Broadcast) for surveillance and GAGAN(GPS However, the targets of meeting carbon neutral
aided GEO Augmented Navigation) for growth and further reduction in emissions
navigation. GAGAN, a satellite based technology requires drastically new thinking, designs and
for augmentation of GPS signal, will be technologies. A systems approach needs to
4 of its kind of system after US(WAAS), be applied for an integrated development of
th
Europe(EGNOS), Japan(MSAS) and will have technologies along with the required regulatory
a footprint from Africa to Australia. GAGAN certification regime for the airborne as well as
will eliminate the need for ground based radio ground elements for an effective deployment
navigation aids which are costly, difficult to of the evolving technologies and optimum
maintain, and have limited range. A suitable utilization of the capabilities of modern day
airborne GAGAN receiver allows the equipped aircraft in order to achieve the operational
user to not only determine its position far efficiency.
more accurately than GPS but also provides
timely integrity alerts as to when the signal In order to achieve global harmonization
may not be usable particularly during the in deployment of advanced technologies,
safety critical landing phase of a flight. GAGAN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
would have a large number of non-aviation has adopted Aviation System Block Upgrades
application including in all the other modes of (ASBU)[4] which proposes a frame work for
transportation. modular implementation of system upgrades
around the existing and emerging aviation
Air transport will be even more vital for technologies, along with the required changes
the modern societies of future, and we shall in the regulatory standards and operational
travel more by air in future leading to further procedures as an integrated module for
congested skies and airports. Conventional a defined operational improvement. This
hydrocarbon fuels may eventually become approach identifies the various dependencies
unviable/unavailable, and alternate sources of and allows for a coordinated action on
energy which are clean and sustainable will part of various stakeholders for an effective
have to be used. Aircraft will have to be far application of evolving technology solutions
more energy efficient, safer, quieter, and have as well as provides an effective roadmap for
lower carbon footprint and eventually emission technology development in a coordinated
free. The evolution of technologies in the air manner. Sustained viability of airline industry

208 AIRWAYS