New Delhi, Nov 27: From today onwards, the entire Indian airspace can take many more aircraft than it used to so far, with new rules in place to reduce the vertical distance between two planes flying over 29,000 feet. The introduction of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) from 0730 hours today has decreased the vertical distance between two aircraft to 1,000 feet when they are flying at a height of over 29,000 feet, civil aviation ministry sources said.

The decision comes in the wake of a worldwide recommendation by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which had also fixed today's date for the implementation of the RVSM.

Earlier, the separation between two aircraft upto a height of 29,000 feet used to be 1,000. Beyond 29,000 feet, it used to be 2,000 feet. Now, the vertical separation allowed would be 1,000 feet for aircraft flying upto 41,000 feet.
Replying to questions about the possibility of recurrence of Charkhi-Dadri type mid-air collission, the sources said all these aspects had been taken into account and adequate training had been provided to the pilots as well as the Air Traffic Control (ATC) officers.

The sources said sophisticated air traffic monitoring equipments were already in place at all major airports across the country to keep track of larger number of aircraft as well as a larger airspace.

Increased airspace would now be available and more number of aircraft accommodated as there would be several additional levels of airspace available with the RVSM in place, they added.
Bureau Report