India, Oct. 3 -- In November 2023, a Vistara A320 and an Ethiopian Airways B787 aircraft experienced two aircraft collision avoidance system (ACAS) alerts one after the other at Delhi's terminal 3. The two aircraft - one was about to land and the other was taking off - were saved from potential disaster by bad weather and wind-shear conditions that necessitated a go-around by one of them, averting a collision. The final report of this incident has just been released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and it squarely blames the high workload and stress faced by the air traffic controllers (ATCs) - the backroom boys of the aviation landscape - who are often forgotten, unlike the commanders and crew who remain at the forefront. This is not the first near-accident attributed to fatigue or excessive workload among ATCs. Just like the crew, ATCs also work under immense pressure, which has increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. Akin to flight inspectors and other similar cadres in aviation, they are an important undergird of flight safety. But, India faces a serious shortage of ATCs: Against a total sanctioned strength of 5,537, it only has around 4,000. Moreover, whether the sanctioned strength itself meets the necessary number of personnel is a moot question. There is a Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) that specifies the Watch Duty Time Limitations (WDTL) for ATCs, notified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), keeping in mind international practices, rules, and advisories. The regulations ensure that the controllers are adequately rested, remain alert and effective while on duty, and are not unduly stressed. With rising air traffic and worsening weather patterns - storms, cloud bursts, and other unusual weather phenomena becoming more frequent - it isn't hard to imagine the criticality of the ATCs in aviation safety. While fatigue among commanders and crew has been facing scrutiny for some time now, the life and travails of ATCs often go unnoticed by the media. A recent parliamentary committee highlighted the plight of ATCs and the critical role they play in the aviation sector. It flagged three problems that were of particular concern for flight safety, which need to be urgently addressed. The first is that the facilities for ATC training have not grown in keeping with the need. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) - ATCs are under its purview - has three training centres, in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Begumpet (Hyderabad), and Gondia (Maharashtra). Of the three, the first two have surveillance control simulators as well as aerodrome control training. In Gondia, only the initial aerodrome control training is conducted currently. Between the three, around 640 new controllers are trained every year, of which around 400 would have received only the initial levels of training. This lack of training capacity has led to some worrisome developments. Often, controllers without adequate training are stationed at various control towers and remain in non-functional positions for long periods, waiting for training slots to become available, before they can handle actual operations. Well-trained and experienced staff thus shoulder the bulk of the workload, often handling 30-35 aircraft at a time in busy air spaces, instead of the five to 10 that is considered ideal. Also, duty timings have become stretched across India's airports, but markedly more so at the busier ones. The persistent staff shortage has made it almost impossible for AAI to adhere to the mandatory safety regulations and limits, and it has resorted to consistently obtaining "exemptions" from DGCA to operate outside the prescribed norms at several airports. The parliamentary committee report points out that "this practice has effectively institutionalised overwork and normalised a state of heightened fatigue risk within the air traffic management system". This short-staffing had also led to another dangerous precedent being set, where more experienced controllers are forced to perform two roles simultaneously - managing active traffic and fulfilling supervisory duties, compromising the ability to respond effectively in an emergency. Second, ATCs say they are increasingly subject to a punitive and penalty-driven environment - a complaint often heard from crew as well - and that this is demoralising. Steep fines can be levied on personnel for decisions taken under seriously charged situations, often happening well beyond duty limits (this is done under the penal provisions of the Aircraft Rules by DGCA). This acts as an independent stressor. The last is that the ATC guild has long been seeking the inclusion of a member from its fold in the board of the AAI, the body that governs and manages them. The failure to do so has led to a situation where often decisions that directly affect the functioning of ATCs are taken by those who have very little understanding of the ecosystem. Until we expand capacity within India, it might be worthwhile to send a few batches of controllers abroad for training. Overwork, dual responsibilities, and working with an overwhelming number of variables are a clear and imminent threat to aviation safety, and, certainly, are not the ideal conditions for India's expanding aviation universe....