Efficiency booster: BLR becomes first south Asian airport to implement system for more efficient flight arrivals

NEW DELHI: Flying into Bengaluru will soon mean reduced congestion and shorter hovering for aircraft as the garden city’s Kempegowda Int’l Airport (BLR) has become the first airport in South Asia to implement “point merge system”. This is an area navigation procedure that allows air traffic controllers to sequence inbound aircraft onto the final approach. Akasa’s flight Mumbai-BLR flight QP 1129 became the first flight to use this newly introduced system on Wednesday.Akasa said on X: “An initiative by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), point merge helps arriving aircraft move through the skies in a smoother, smarter and more organised way. This can make arrivals more predictable, reduce unnecessary flying time and communication, and help lower fuel consumption and emissions. Already in use at airports around the world, its introduction in BLR is an exciting step forward for Indian aviation.”BIAL did not comment on this. It is learnt the trials will be on for three months before the rollout.Currently operational at 59 airports in 23 countries, point merge system enables aircraft to fly along published sequencing legs and when it is considered that there is adequate spacing, the controller will instruct the pilot to route direct to the “merge point”. It allows for more efficient and optimum utilisation of available airspace.Giving the benefits for airlines under the new system, a senior pilot said: “This leads to enhanced operational efficiency and consistency by creating a system which reduces the gaps of individual controller vectoring techniques. There’s enhanced predictability; reduced congestion and fuel consumptions due to efficient inter arrival spacing”Another pilot said: “Point merge reduces radio telephony (RT) congestion and leads to less RT workload for the pilots and air traffic controllers. It becomes easier to accommodate priority/emergency aircraft. There is less effect of winds on sequencing as all the arriving aircraft approaches from almost same directions.”A third pilot said all these steps lead to enhanced safety. “Aircraft can maintain a more efficient descent profile and use continuous descent operations (CDO). Less fuel burn directly reduces the airline’s direct operating cost. Reduced airborne time also reduces engine operating time and associated maintenance exposure. These benefits become significant when multiplied across hundreds of daily arrivals. Reduced holding and delay. Instead of frequent heading and speed instructions from ATC, the aircraft follows a predefined sequencing leg and receives a relatively simple ‘direct to merge point’ instruction,” he said.The biggest airline benefit is not simply “shorter routes.” They are: predictable sequencing plus reduced vectoring; reduced level-offs plus; CDO; reduced airborne delay; lower fuel burn and more predictable operations.Get the latest Business News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.