The Performance-Based Navigation System (PBNS), which was introduced last week by the Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) to provide relief from endless hovering over the city airport, has not been of much help.

While launching the system, the officials had said it would end congestion and increase efficiency in handling flight movements. But the officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) have now admitted that there is no improvement whatsoever in air traffic congestion. Hinting at the need of a parallel runway and taxiway, they said the problem will continue until infrastructure at the airport is improved.

“Congestion at the airport will stay as the infrastructure remains the same, and therefore PBNS will not make any difference,” an airport official, requesting anonymity, told Newsline.

PBNS is an advanced satellite-based airspace navigation system which fixes an aircraft’s path from take-off to landing making its movement visible throughout its route, which was not possible in the previously-used ground-based navigation. It thus increases efficiency in air traffic management.

However, despite Mumbai’s airspace getting more organised recently by creating more space, ground realities remain the same due to limited runway space.

“With the new system there will be no change in an aircraft’s holding time (the time an aircraft hovers before getting clearance for landing) as it depends entirely on the runway occupancy which remains high due to the lack of a parallel taxiway next to the second runway,” said the airport official. What makes matters worse is the fact that the air traffic controllers were not even trained regarding the new procedures when the system was implemented . “They were just given an hour-long lecture and then they were on the job,” he added.

M G Jhungare, general manager of the ATC, refused to comment on the issue. “At present it not feasible to comment as we have just started with the system,” he said, adding the “infrastructure constraints have always been there”.

“The basic problem is that we do not have a parallel runway. By introducing PBNS, we have taken care of one issue but there are multiple issues that need to be dealt with. Though the system will smoothen the procedures, it will not help reduce congestion,” said an Air India pilot. “Issues like limitation of parking spaces and no parallel taxiway next to the second runway are primary reasons that lead to congestion,” he said.