Mumbai: While the air traffic control (ATC) is often seen as the most underappreciated department of civil aviation, praises have been flying in for the Mumbai ATC in a very rare occurrence. The crucial aviation body at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is being lauded for its exceptional work in managing the increased air traffic that has diverted southwards after the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
The Free Press Journal was the first to report that the closure of Pakistan’s airspace for Indian aircraft, post the Pahalgam terrorist attack, has increased airspace congestion above Gujarat and Maharashtra. This increased load of around 120 flights daily had to be handled by the Mumbai ATC, which deployed additional staff including radar controllers to manage the increased air traffic.
As tension between both nations escalated resulting to Pakistan closing its airspace for all commercial flights, Mumbai ATC saw a huge jump in additional flights flying from its range daily, figures reaching as high as 450. With the de-escalation of military advances by both countries, as civil aviation is also returning to normalcy, praises have been flowing in for Mumbai ATC’s exceptional work in handling the diverted air traffic and keeping the aircrafts flying.
On Monday, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that Mumbai ATC managed around 400 to 450 additional flights daily on top of their regular load with utmost precision and calm. He also appreciated Airport Authority of India’s (AAI) chairman Vipin Kumar and Air Navigation Services member M. Suresh and entire team of Mumbai ATC for ensuring India’s skies remain safe, seamless, and steady. “In moments of challenge, Mumbai ATC rose with quiet excellence. Their vigilance keeps India moving,” he said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also appreciated Mumbai ATC’s work reflecting that it held up the spirit of Mumbai, even in the sky. “I congratulate Mumbai ATC for safe and seamless air traffic control during challenging times. Glad to know that Mumbai ATC continues to manage unprecedented surge of around 500 additional flights over and above the regular operations,” he said.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd, CSMIA’s operator, also praised Mumbai ATC’s work and expressed gratitude to its team. “It is an honour for us at CSMIA to stand alongside Mumbai ATC in maintaining safe airspace operations and uninterrupted connectivity across the globe. Together, we continue to uphold the spirit of excellence that defines Mumbai’s aviation ecosystem,” the airport operator said.
Similarly, aviation experts from across the country and beyond have took to social media to praise Mumbai ATC’s work of handling hundreds of additional aircraft in the past few weeks.
