CISF officer's book on aviation released

New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) Do you know that your taste buds act differently at a height of 35,000 feet and hence, the food cooked for airline passengers is treated with special herbs and spices to make it compatible? Or, why is the code for the Delhi airport is DEL, while for Chennai, it is MAA and not CHE? Such intricacies and complexities of the aviation sector, including security, air traffic control (ATC) operations, cargo duties and passenger issues, have been penned by CISF officer Shiv Kumar Mohanka in his book, titled "Above and Beyond: Exploring the Amazing World of Aviation".

The 445-page publication was unveiled by Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu at an event in Delhi on Tuesday.

Mohanka, a deputy inspector general-rank officer of the CISF, is the chief aerodrome security officer (CASO) of the Hyderabad airport.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is the national civil aviation security force. It has 70 airports under its cover at present.

The book answers a number of routinely-asked questions in the aviation sector with insight and charm -- blending aviation facts, personal anecdotes and expert perspectives from Mohanka's three-decade-long service in the CISF -- an official statement said.

The pages promise to answer many questions and unravel the rationale behind a number of aviation-related activities like special herbs and spices being added to the food cooked for air passengers as human taste buds act differently at 35,000 feet.

The book also contains information like why the code for Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport is DEL, while that for Chennai is not CHE but MAA, and for Itanagar, it is not ITA but HGI.

The book throws light on how pregnancy or certain other health conditions impact an individual's flight experience or what simple hacks can make air travel smoother.

Based on a survey of 1,500 flyers, the author has identified 262 recurring issues, from service lapses to infrastructure gaps, and simultaneously offered constructive insights into how India's aviation ecosystem can evolve further to meet global standards. "Above and Beyond" traces the evolution of air travel -- from the early days of limited access to today's era of mass connectivity -- the statement said.

Naidu said the book is a "must read" for aviation enthusiasts.

Former aviation minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and CISF DG Praveer Ranjan were present at the book-release event. PTI NES RC