Faced with fog conditions, Delhi Airport asked to expedite on CAT III-enabled runway
Jan 15, 2024
New Delhi [India], January 15 : Delhi Airport has been asked to immediately expedite the operationalization of its CAT III-enabled fourth runway to the satisfaction of the civil aviation regulator DGCA for final approval, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday.
The airport in the national capital already has a CAT III-enabled runway. A CAT III landing is a precision approach that allows aircraft to land safely in low-visibility conditions.
Delhi witnessed unprecedented fog wherein visibility fluctuated for several hours, and at times, dropped to zero between 5 AM to 9 AM on Sunday. On Monday too, the national capital woke to a thick fog.
Taking to social media platform X, Union Minister Scindia said that the Delhi Airport authorities were compelled to enforce a shut-down of operations for some time even on CAT III runways (CAT III runways cannot handle Zero-Visibility operations), keeping passengers' safety in mind.
In the past 48 hours, around 600 flights, both domestic and international combined, were delayed due to the severe weather conditions.
To mitigate the situation in the near future, the DGCA will issue an SOP for airlines on better communication and facilitation of passengers to minimise discomfort in view of flight cancellations and delays due to adverse weather.
"It is my earnest request to all travellers to bear with us during this difficult period. All stakeholders are trying their best to minimize passenger inconvenience. Incidences of unruly behaviour amidst this are unacceptable, and will be dealt with strongly in line with the existing legal provisions," Scindia said in a post on 'X'.
"I would like to assure everyone that all stakeholders are working round the clock to minimise the fog-related impact," the minister further wrote.
