Wednesday, March 27, 2013

JICA grant to help install two radars at TIA



The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and government signed a ¥989 million grant agreement today to install two new radars at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and at Bhatte Danda in Lalitpur district aiming at improving aviation safety, strengthening air transport capacity and making air traffic services effective.
Since the aircraft movement at the TIA has been rapidly increasing in recent years, the capability of the existing air space surveillance is not sufficient. The grant aid will be utilised in installing Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR) systems at the TIA and Bhatte Danda under JICA’s Tribhuvan International Airport Modernisation Project.
JICA, under the project, had earlier provided one set of the Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR)/Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR).
As the existing ASR/SSR at the only international airport has aged and deteriorated, air traffic controllers can only detect and monitor the aircraft flying near the TIA and the others flying outside the Kathmandu Valley are out of the radar coverage.
Once the new systems are installed, radars will monitor small aircraft flying on domestic air routes as well as international aircraft flying in high altitude and extend en-route surveillance up to 200 nautical miles. It will ultimately help make Nepali skies safer and increase air space capacity.
JICA has incorporated transport infrastructure in its Assistance Programme for Nepal and improvement of the air transport has been prioritised together with the land transport as vital infrastructures.
The Japanese aid agency has been contributing towards the improvement of aviation safety and capacity in Nepal by extending Official Development Assistance (ODA) like grant aid for the modernisation of the TIA and for the improvement of the existing air traffic service system.
Chief of the International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division under Finance Ministry joint secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini and chief representative of JICA Nepal office Tsutomu Shimizu signed and exchanged the grant agreement on behalf of their respective government and organization.
Similarly, finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and ambassador of Japan to Nepal Kunio Takahashi signed the Exchange of Note on behalf of their respective governments.

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