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Airline pilots warn lack of radars in Buenos Aires airports

Saturday, May 5th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
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The International Federation of Airlines Pilots Associations, with over 100.000 members globally has warned that pilots operating in Argentine airspace must exercise extreme vigilance and awareness because of the lack of radars in the Buenos Aires area.

The official release from IFALPA refers specifically to Argentina's main international airport Ezeiza and to the domestic airport of Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, which are operating without an area radar, "as a result of being struck by lightning". "The area radar serving the Baires TMA in Argentina is out of action as a result of being struck by lightning. Consequently all air traffic control is being carried out procedurally until repairs can be affected", reads the official IFALPA release. "In addition, Air Traffic Control Service provision is in the process of being passed from the Argentine Air Force and Navy to the Civil Aviation Authority". "Advice from the Association of Pilots of Air Lines (Argentina) suggests that while the handover takes place there may be severe disruption to ATC service throughout Argentina. Therefore pilots operating in Argentine airspace should exercise extreme vigilance and awareness of the present ATC situation in order to maintain safe operations". The area radar for Ezeiza and Aeroparque has been non operational since last March first. As a precautionary measure the Argentine pilots associations have instructed their members to keep an operational horizontal and vertical distance of ten minutes between each takeoff. "The system has collapsed and if nothing has happened so far it's because we have been extremely lucky" said Diego Serra president of a pilots' federation. "Ten minutes is a good safety measure, but this means departing and landing schedules will not necessarily be respected. Instead of 20 flights to the hour, we now have five, in good weather conditions; forget about it if there's a storm", he added. President Nestor Kirchner administration has earmarked 30 million US dollars for the purchase of a new radar system and simulators for civilian air comptrollers. Next August first a leased radar should be operational with other support equipment in the following months, according to Argentine Defence Ministry sources. Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral which together concentrate 85% of domestic flights' traffic transport 16.500 passengers on average every day. The current situation is particularly damaging for the tourist industry which has been booming in Argentina since 2001, with over 5 million international visitors in 2006 and expanding 5% annually

Categories: Politics, Argentina.

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