GVK plans to take India's tallest ATC tower crown from rival GMR

GVK Power and Infrastructure is gearing up to reclaim the distinction of having the country’s tallest air traffic control tower (ATCT) from GMR Infrastructure by erecting one as high as 105-meter at the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

As per a DNA report, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, run by GMR has the tallest ATCT in the country standing at 101.9 meters. This tower took nearly four years to complete at a cost of around Rs 350 crore.

The NMIA had conducted a study to determine the optimal position for the ATCT. The team identified multiple locations across the airport and deployed various methodologies to determine the appropriate location and optimum height of the ATCT. The location finalised was outside the initial development area and the tower could not be constructed as planned. The airport management is planning to construct a temporary ATCT which will be developed at a later stage.

The NMIA will handle around 80-90 aircraft movements per hour, with two parallel runways 1,560 meters apart. Two sets of controllers, one handling the northern part of the airport and the other handling the southern part will be clustered in two groups within the tower.