L1: Introduction to

Aviation & Airports

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Pros & Cons
Pros Cons
• Rapidity • Operating Expenses
• Continuous Journey • Capacity
• Accessibility • Weather Conditions
• Flight rules:
• Laws in respect to international
aviation

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History
• Reger Bacon, 1266: First to study the flight of birds; prophesied that source
of energy from flight can be derived from fire
• Orville Wright, 17 Dec 1903: Made first flight; propelled a distance of 35 m
• 18 Feb 1911: First air flight in India; carrying mail from Allahabad to Naini;
world’s first official airmail service
• 15 Oct 1932: First commercial air service in India - Tata Air Services
• 27 Aug 1939: First jet flight manufactured by Heinkel Aircraft company,
Germany
• 1960: Air India entered into Jet age

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Aviation
• Aviation refers to flying using an aircraft, like an aeroplane. Includes the
activities & industries related to aircraft
• Civil Aviation
• Commercial Service Aviation: provides public air transportation between the world’s
cities
• Air Cargo: air transport of mail, bulk freight, high-value goods, & all other revenue
generating payload other than passengers & their luggage
• Reliever Aviation: to relieve congestion at commercial service airports & to provide
improved general aviation access to the overall community
• General Aviation: non-scheduled civil flying, both private & commercial. Includes
business flights, flight training, ballooning, paragliding, parachuting, gliding, aerial
photography, air ambulance, crop dusting, etc.
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Airport
• Aerodrome is “a defined area on land or water intended to be used either
wholly or in part for the arrival, departure & surface movement of aircraft”
- ICAO
• Airstrip: small aerodrome with runway; with/without navigational aids,
fuelling equipment, etc.
• Airport is a aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air
transport

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Airport
International Airport
• Enables passengers to travel between countries
• Equipped with customs & border control facilities
• Features longer runways to accommodate heavier aircraft

Domestic Airport
• Handles only domestic flights - flights within the same country
• Do not have customs & immigration facilities
• Short runways sufficient to handle short or medium haul aircrafts

Regional Airport
• Serving traffic within a relatively small or lightly populated geographical area
• Do not have customs & immigration facilities
• Used by smaller business jets, private aircraft & regional airliners

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Aviation Organizations: World
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• Specialized agency of the United Nations, HQ at Montreal
• Founded in 1947; Structure: Council & Assembly
• 193 countries are members of ICAO in April 2019; 36 council members
• Council is the permanent governing body; elected by the assembly
• Gp I (chief importance); Gp II (large contributions); Gp III ( geographic
representation)
• India: Gp II council member

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Aviation Organizations: ICAO
• Objectives:
• Ensure safe & orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world
• Encourage the arts of aircraft design & operation for peaceful purposes
• Encourage development of airways, airports, & air navigation facilities for
international aviation
• Meet the needs of the world for safe, regular, efficient, & economical air transport
• Prevent economic waste by unreasonable competition
• Ensure that the rights of contracting states are fully respected & that every
contracting state has a fair opportunity to operate international airlines
• Avoid discrimination between contracting states
• Promote safety of flight in international air navigation
• Promote generally the development of all aspects of international civil aeronautics

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Aviation Organizations: World
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• Association of scheduled carriers in international air
transportation
• Founded in 1945; HQ at Montreal
• Consists of 290 airlines, representing 117 countries; approx. 82% of
total available seat miles air traffic
• Focus areas: Safety, Simplifying the business, Environment, Services, &
Standard publications
• IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) - mandated by several countries

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Aviation Organizations: USA
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Under US Department of Transportation; Founded in 1958
• Responsible for safe & efficient operation of the nation’s civil
aviation system
• Functions:
• Establishment of civil airways, landing areas, & other air facilities
• Control and protection of air traffic moving in air commerce
• Technical development of aeronautics and aeronautical facilities
• Prescribes and enforces the civil air regulations for safety standards
• Provides for aircraft registration
• Requires notice and issues orders with respect to hazards to air commerce
• Issues airport operating certificates to airports serving air carriers
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Aviation Organizations: India
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
• Established in 1927, HQ at New Delhi
• Functions:
• Regulatory functions such as registration of civil aircraft, airworthiness of aircraft,
certification of airports, licensing of personnel, investigation of accidents/incidents,
approval of institutes engaged in flying training, advice on matters relating to air
transport
• Coordination of ICAO matters with all agencies
• Carrying out amendments to the Aircraft Act, the Aircraft Rules and the Civil
Aviation Requirements
• Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft components
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Aviation Organizations: India
Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Created through the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994
• By merging International Airports Authority of India (IAAI) & National
Airports Authority (NAA)
• Responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining, & managing civil aviation
infrastructure
• Provides communication navigation surveillance/air traffic management
services over Indian airspace & adjoining oceanic areas
• Manages 137 airports; 23 international airports, 10 customs airports, 81
domestic airports & 23 civil enclaves
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