Feb 26 :The satellite based navigation system Gagan is expected to be launched in the first half of 2010. The Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Patel told Lok Sabha on Thursday that this will help in seamless and safer air traffic movement .The ambitious GPS based Geo Augmentation Navigation (GAGAN) project will provide information for satellite navigation to aircraft flying over Indian airspace and the routes over the high seas.
Gagan will help make air traffic hazard free and bring the navigation system at par with that of the United States and Europe. The Minister of Civil Aviation Mr. Praful Patel said that with this India will be only the fourth country in the world to have such a system. Replying to several questions in the Civil Aviation Sector Mr Patel said that government is taking every possible measure to ensure security at Airports. He said that the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation for safety managements have already
been implemented at big airports in Metros and efforts are being made to do so at other airports. In this regard, he said that the setting up of the Safety Management System (SMS) is a necessary requirement for licensing process and SMS has been initiated at various airports. With regard to the incident related to the landing of the President’s helicopter recently, the Minister said that the incident is under investigation.