Director General of Civil Aviation bans similar flight numbers
A source from Indian Airlines said confusion due to call-signs was not new.
Hyderabad: The latest guidelines issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation on operations of two aircraft with visually or aurally similar flight numbers within 120 minutes of each other, will lead to the rescheduling of some domestic flights from RGI Airport. Flight operators are comparing the guidelines with theirs and others’ call signs and scheduled times for either changing the flight numbers or changing schedules.
A source from Indian Airlines said confusion due to call-signs was not new. “Since half a decade discussions are going on and the DGCA had appointed a committee to resolve the problem. Based on the committee’s reports, the DGCA implemented the system at the Delhi Airport and after getting good results, it issued guidelines to all airlines which operate services across the country,” the source said.
About changing of numbers the source said, “If we change numbers based on schedules by airlines (say from AI-203 to AI-103) to overcome the visual and aural problem, the new number will create problems at other airports. So far, the numbering system is in three digits like AI-203 except for some flights, and there is another proposal from the DGCA and Air Traffic Controlling Authority to change the numbering system to four digits like AI-XXXX,” the source said.
An official from the DGCA said the committee had identified about nine similar call-signs. “For example, flight numbers AB-109 and AB-409 are having a similar call sign in both visual and aural aspects. AB-509 and CD-509 are having aural similarities. Even AB-348 and AB-384 are having visual similarities. Besides these, call-signs containing repeated digits like AB-555, DE-777 are also not permitted for departure within 120 minutes,” the official said.
DGCA director general B.S. Bullar said in his orders that airlines should concentrate on problems due to non-standard RT phraseology, quality of communication channel, density of traffic in airspace, interruption or distraction in announcement etc.