IGI streamlines runway use, but fog may change rules

New Delhi: For over a month, the authorities at the Indira Gandhi Airport have been using its two runways in a new order — the mixed mode — which was meant to cut down delays and taxiing time. But with the winter setting in, senior officials fear that the fog may throw a spanner in the works.
The mixed mode (see box), the officials said, was effective to an extent. The hovering time had reduced but not the taxiing time.
But winter may throw all calculations awry as only the new runway is equipped to handle fog — with instrument landing system on both sides to facilitate arrivals and departures in visibility less than 500 metres. Plus, the number of domestic aircraft equipped with the instrument landing system is not high.
The IGI authorities, therefore, plan to use the new runway for the landing of domestic flights.
“In case of congestion, domestic flights will be diverted to the new runway for landing,” said V Somasundaram, Executive Director for Air Traffic Management, Airports Authority of India. “Our motive is to reduce the hovering time.”
16/11/09 Geeta Gupta/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Nov 2009