AAI upgrading facilities to meet foggy conditions

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 1. Even as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is upgrading its approach and landing system at Delhi airport to meet the fog situation later in the month, British Airways today announced a revised winter schedule in December and January in anticipation of fog conditions over Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

The AAI, which is now operating a Category II approach and landing system, said it was upgrading for operations under Category IIIA conditions. This will enable the aircraft to make an approach and land under low visibility conditions upto visibility minima of 200 metres as against the current visibility of 350 metres.

The Authority said all civil and electrical works had been completed and all Cat-II facilities like runway center line lights, touch down zone lights and approach lights on main runways 10 and 28 had been commissioned from November 1. The Cat- IIIA system is expected to be flight tested by December 10.

For Cat-IIA Instrument landing System, a review of the aeronautical study carried out by AAI to identify obstruction penetrating the obstacle limitation surfaces and the flight testing with the help of aircraft and equipment being hired from the International Civil Aviation Organisation remain to be done.

The Runway Visual Range (RVR) equipment imported from Germany was being installed and was likely to be calibrated, tested and commissioned by the first week of December. The state- of-the-art equipment to sample and test visual range along the runway was being installed at three locations along the runway to support ``the very exacting requirements'' under Cat-III conditions.

This equipment enables measurement of RVR in steps of 25 metres down to 50 metres of visual range. An ICAO aircraft equipped with testing Cat-IIIA Instrument Landing System was expected to arrive on December 7 and the flight testing was likely to be done by December 10.

Airline pilots who are trained and certified for operations under Cat-IIIA would be able to land under low visibility conditions. Most Indian pilots are trained in operating in Cat-II conditions, while international airlines are normally ready with Cat-III equipped aircraft and pilots.

Upgradation of facilities from Cat-II to Cat-IIIA involved laying of electrical works of about 400 km of airfield lighting cable within the operational area, installation of more than 2000 state-of-the-art technology imported inset light fittings on central line of railway, taxiway and parking bays on the apron at a cost of Rs 43.16 crore, including strengthening and resurfacing of main runway and taxi track.

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