Airprox Incident Between Qatar Airways and EL AL Probed

Why in the news?

India’s AAIB is investigating a near-miss incident where Qatar Airways and EL AL aircraft came within 9.1 nautical miles of each other over the Arabian Sea.

Airprox Incident Between Qatar Airways and EL AL Probed

About Aircraft Proximity Incident Involving Qatar Airways and EL AL:

  • India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing an airprox incident from March 24, where two wide-body aircraft—Qatar Airways and Israel’s EL AL—came within 1 nautical miles of each other over the Arabian Sea.
  • The mandated separation is 10 minutes, but these aircraft, flying at 35,000 feet, were just one minute apart.
  • The AAIB released a preliminary report, with the final report expected within a few months.

Details of the Incident

  • The EL AL flight was en route to Bangkok, and the Qatar Airways flight was headed to Male, Maldives.
  • Both aircraft were at the same flight level and crossed paths at a waypoint in Mumbai’s Flight Information Region (FIR).
  • No Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts were generated, indicating no immediate collision risk.

Investigation and ATC Involvement

  • Air traffic controllers on duty during the incident have been taken off duty for corrective training.
  • The AAIB investigation team has reviewed ATC tapes, recorded statements, and collected data from the airlines involved.
  • Further analysis is underway, with more details expected in the final report.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times