The third runway at the Delhi airport, which was built to ensure more efficiency in flight operations during foggy conditions, was shut down today, even as the airport witnessed its first bout of significant fog this morning.
According to airport sources, this happened because the new runway still does not have an operational surface movement radar, which is integral to flight operations during low visibility conditions.
A statement from Delhi Airport International Ltd (DIAL) said it was the old runway that was used today, adding that low visibility procedures had to be implemented when the visibility fell to 850 metres. More than a dozen flights were delayed because of the fog.
“The surface movement radar at the new runway has been installed but has not been operationalised yet. This is the reason why we have not got the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) clearance for operating flights in lower visibility conditions at the airport yet,” said an airport official.
This is not the first time when the third runway has had to be closed. Within a week of starting operations, the third runway had to be practically closed for the entire day on September 29 when the instrument landing system at the runway collapsed.
Earlier, DIAL had made it clear that passengers should be prepared for harrowing times as the fog is estimated to be harsher this season.
“Last year was the best, we had only 4 days of fog in the two months of December and January. One cannot predict what kind of fog we will have but it will not be as good as last year. An analysis of the last 24 years show that the fog period lasts from December 10 to January 31 for an average time period of 80 hours,” said RK Jenamani, director-in-charge, meteorological department, Delhi airport.
DIAL Chief Operating Officer Andrew Harrison had warned that fog conditions might affect 60 per cent of the flight movements.
Meanwhile, following predictions of a harsh winter this year, many airlines including Delhi-based carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo have started taking specific measures so that they are least exposed to the fog at the airport.
For starters, unlike last year, both IndiGo and SpiceJet have majority of their aircraft parked in destinations apart from the Delhi airport. While SpiceJet had 40 per cent of its total fleet of 15 aircraft parked in Delhi last winter, it will have only 33 per cent of the fleet parked in Delhi this winter. IndiGo again has two-thirds of its fleet parked outside Delhi, whereas last year half its fleet of 14 was parked outside Delhi.
