Airports Authority of India

Mission :  ''To achieve highest standards of safety and quality in air traffic services and airport management by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for total customer satisfaction, contributing to economic growth and prosperity of the nation.''                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Vision :  ''To be a world-class organization providing leadership in air traffic services and airport management & making India a major hub in Asia Pacific region by 2016''.
AAI Today


Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages a total of 125 Airports, which include 11 International Airports, 08 Customs Airports, 81 Domestic Airports and 25 Civil Enclaves at Defence Airfields. AAI also provides Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) over entire Indian Air Space and adjoining oceanic areas with ground installations at all Airports and 25 other locations to ensure safety of Aircraft operations.

The Airports at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Calicut, Guwahati, Jaipur, Trivandrum, Kolkata & Chennai, which today are established as International Airports, are open to operations even by Foreign International Airlines. Besides, the International flights, National Flag Carriers operate from Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, and Gaya Airports. Not only this but also the Tourist Charters now touch Agra, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna Airports etc.

AAI has entered into a Joint Venture at Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Nagpur Airports to upgrade these Airports and emulate the world standards.

All major air-routes over Indian landmass are Radar covered (29 Radar installations at 11 locations) along with VOR/DVOR coverage (89 installations) co-located with Distance Measuring Equipment (90 installations). 52 runways are provided with ILS installations with Night Landing Facilities at most of these Airports and Automatic Message Switching System at 15 Airports.

AAI's successful implementation of Automatic Dependence Surveillance System (ADSS), using indigenous technology, at Calcutta and Chennai Air Traffic Control Centres, gave India the distinction of being the first country to use this advanced technology in the South East Asian region thus enabling effective Air Traffic Control over oceanic areas using satellite mode of communication. Use of remote controlled VHF coverage, along with satellite communication links, has given added strength to our ATMS. Linking of 80 locations by V-Sat installations shall vastly enhance Air Traffic Management and in turn safety of aircraft operations besides enabling administrative and operational control over our extensive Airport network. Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures have already been implemented at Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad Airports and are likely to be implemented at other Airports in phased manner.

AAI has undertaken GAGAN project in technological collaboration with Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), where the satellite based system will be used for navigation. The navigation signals thus received from the GPS will be augmented to achieve the navigational requirement of aircrafts. First Phase of technology demonstration system has already been successfully completed in February 2008. Development team has been geared up to upgrade the system in operational phase.

AAI has also planned to provide Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) at Delhi and Mumbai Airports. This GBAS equipment will be capable of providing Category-II (curved approach) landing signals to the aircrafts thus replacing the existing instrument landing system in the long run, which is required at each end of the runway.

The Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (ASMGCS), installed at Delhi, has upgraded operation to runway 28 from CAT-IIIA level to CAT-IIIB level. CAT-IIIA system permits landing of aircrafts up to visibility of 200mtrs. However, CAT-IIIB will permit safe landing at the Airports at a visibility below 200mtrs but above 50mtrs.

AAI's endeavour, in enhanced focus on 'customer's expectations', has evinced enthusiastic response to independent agency, which has organised customer satisfaction surveys at 30 busy Airports. These surveys have enabled us to undertake improvements on aspects recommended by the Airport users. The receptacles for our 'Business Reply Letters' at Airports have gained popularity; these responses enable us to understand the changing aspirations of Airport users. During the first year of the millennium, AAI endeavours to make its operations more transparent and also make available the instantaneous information to customers by deploying state-of-art Information Technology.

The specific training, focus on improving the employee response and the professional skill up-gradation, has been manifested. AAI's four training establishments viz. Civil Aviation Training College (CATC) - Allahabad, National Institute of Aviation Management and Research (NIAMAR) - Delhi and Fire Training Centres (FTCs) at Delhi & Kolkata are expected to be busier than ever before.

AAI has also undertaken initiatives to upgrade training facilities at CATC Allahabad and Hyderabad Airport. Aerodrome Visual Simulator (AVS) has been provided at CATC recently and non-radar procedural ATC simulator equipment is being supplied to CATC Allahabad and Hyderabad Airport.

AAI is having a dedicated Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) and it has fleet of three aircrafts fitted with latest state-of-art fully automatic flight inspection system capable of inspecting.

  1. ILS up to Cat-III
  2. VOR (CVOR/DVOR)
  3. DME
  4. NDB
  5. VGSI (PAPI, VASI)
  6. RADAR (ASR/MSSR)

In addition to in house flight calibration of nav aids, AAI also undertakes flight calibration of nav aids for Air force, Navy, Coast Guard and other private Airfields in India.

Last updated on : 16th August 2010