Project ISHAN

About Project ISHAN

• The Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management (ISHAN) initiative aims to streamline and enhance air traffic management.
• India is planning a major move to unify its four Flight Information Regions (FIRs) in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai into one continuous airspace in Nagpur and have harmonized Air Traffic Management from Nagpur.
• The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the public entity invited expressions of interest (EoI) for the preparation of a detailed project report.
• What's the arrangement at present?
  • Currently, Indian airspace is divided into four flight information regions (FIRs) in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and a sub-FIR in Guwahati each managed separately.
• Significance: It is expected to streamline operations, enhance capacity, and alleviate congestion, benefiting both airlines and passengers.

Key facts about AAI

• It is a statutory body under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
• It was constituted by an Act of Parliament and came into being on 1st April 1995, by merging the erstwhile National Airports Authority and the International Airports Authority of India.
• It is entrusted with the responsibility of creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing civil aviation infrastructure both on the ground and in air space in the country.
• It also provides Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) over the entire Indian Air Space and adjoining oceanic areas, with ground installations at all airports, and 25 other locations to ensure the safety of aircraft operations.

Q1: What is the role of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)?

It is the regulatory body in the field of civil aviation primarily dealing with safety issues. It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.

Source: One nation, one airspace’: India’s project ISHAN to streamline air traffic, benefit airlines and passengers