In order to make sure that the airlines stick to flight slots, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Air Transport Circular will be implemented in airports at Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad from September 1st. The circular that is already being followed in Mumbai and Delhi airports since July 19th has led to the decrease in flight delays during morning and evening traffic hours. The decision was taken during the recent meeting convened by Alok Sinha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in Mumbai.
According to the circular, airlines must close their check-in counters 40 minutes before their departure time. While the start-up clearance for the flight should be obtained 15 minutes in advance, the push-back action has to be completed within 5 minutes of seeking the permission.
‘‘This was done to get other airports in the loop. A reduction in delays at these airports will also enable airlines to keep their schedules at Mumbai and Delhi. Both arrivals and departures will be more organized and timely,’’ said an airport official.
Airline officials claim that the circular may be further extended to other smaller airports depending on its success at major airports. The Joint Secretary will be soon conducting another meeting in September to review the success of the circular in other cities.
