AAI opts for systems upgrade to tackle fog

To tackle the problem of foggy conditions disrupting flight schedules in winter, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has installed the CAT (Category) III-A instrument landing system (ILS) at the Delhi airport.

This system will allow aircraft to land and take off in low-visibility conditions.

The airport was equipped with CAT III instruments in December 2001. However, with visibility in Delhi falling to less than 200 metres in winter, this version of the landing system proved ineffective in tackling visibility problems.

AAI also plans to upgrade from CAT III A to CAT III B by adding some ancillary equipment, which will further enhance the landing and take off facilities at the Delhi airport.

During winter, domestic as well as international airlines headed for north India have to regularly reschedule operations to avoid delays due to fog. Industry sources said this year some international carriers were contemplating day schedules to avoid fog-related delays.

On Wednesday, flights taking off from Delhi in the morning were delayed due to fog. Domestic carriers had to wait till 8.30 in the morning to resume normal operations.

Airlines have been petitioning the government to implement instrument landing systems to avoid delays to due to poor visibility. Besides, airlines have also been training their pilots on CAT III A instrument landing systems.

Indian Airlines has 44 pilots trained in the CAT III-A system and 30 more were under training. It also had 20 pilots trained in Cat III-B operations, airline sources said.

Most Indian Airlines' pilots trained on CAT-III would be deployed on morning flights out of Delhi as part of the public sector carrier's contingency plan to fight the fog menace.

AAI sources said the upgraded CAT III-B system was likely to be in place "within this winter season" as the process of acquiring certain ancillary equipment would begin soon.