Now Reading: Air traffic controllers flag discomfort with new Indra display system
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Air traffic controllers flag discomfort with new Indra display system
Air traffic controllers at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai airports have raised concerns about large displays being trialled under the new INDRA air traffic management system, citing physical discomfort during prolonged use. The…
Air traffic controllers at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai airports have raised concerns about large displays being trialled under the new INDRA air traffic management system, citing physical discomfort during prolonged use. The ATCO guild has written to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), flagging issues with readability of aircraft labels, colour contrast and alert visibility. The guild said its feedback is not criticism of automation or AAI's modernisation programme, but about operational implementation and human factors.
Controllers report the large display area and extensive use of colours require frequent eye and head movement, causing discomfort during continuous monitoring. The system is undergoing shadow operations and testing before final commissioning. AAI awarded Indra and its Indian partners a contract to deploy the system at Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Mopa in Goa. Indra previously worked with AAI on modernising the Delhi and Kolkata Area Control Centres. The guild has sought examination of concerns under actual operational conditions and proposed replacing or reconfiguring the displays in consultation with Indra.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is modernising air traffic management under its 2018 plan to handle growing traffic. The INDRA system replaces legacy displays at five major airports, a contract worth hundreds of crore. Controller discomfort during testing is a serious safety-signal: ATC work demands sustained high-concentration reading of dense data. The guild's intervention, while careful not to oppose automation, forces AAI to choose between commissioning on schedule or pausing for ergonomic fixes. If unresolved, the issue could delay the rollout at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai, where traffic already strains existing systems. AAI and Indra must now respond formally, the guild has pre-empted a post-commissioning dispute by flagging it in the shadow-operations phase the very stage meant to catch such problems.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
