The New Delhi airport has been asked to expedite the operationalisation of its runway that can handle flights during adverse weather, said Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday.
Delhi Airport has been asked to immediately expedite the operationalisation of the CAT III-enabled fourth runway, in addition to the existing CAT III-enabled runways, to the satisfaction of the DGCA in order to get its approval, the minister said.
Yesterday, Delhi witnessed unprecedented fog wherein visibility fluctuated for several hours, and at times, dropped to zero between 5 AM to 9 AM.
January 15, 2024
The authorities, therefore, were compelled to enforce a shut-down of operations for some time even on CAT III runways (CAT III…According to the official website of Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, its three runways are equipped with CAT-IIIB instrument landing systems. They provide a level of safety to aircraft when landing in low visibility conditions.
The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation will issue a standard operating procedure for airlines to minimise passenger discomfort, due to flight cancellations and delays, Scindia said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Dense fog has affected operations at Delhi Airport, with five flights—four to Jaipur and one to Ahmedabad—being diverted due to bad weather, PTI reported.
Ten flights were diverted on Sunday, while some had to be cancelled as airport operations were hit due to dense fog and poor visibility, the report said.
Scindia urged passengers to cooperate with stakeholders, adding that unruly behaviour will be dealt with strongly, in line with legal provisions.
The minister's comment came in light of a flier assaulting an IndiGo co-pilot of a Delhi-Goa flight, over delay in takeoff.
"It is my earnest request to all travellers to bear with us during this difficult period. All stakeholders are trying their best to minimise passenger inconvenience," Scindia said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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