Low-cost carriers better prepared to handle fog

New Delhi: There is less cause for worry on being delayed by fog in flying this winter with low-cost carriers (LCCs).
These carriers are definitely better prepared in this regard now. In the case of SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir, all their aircraft are CAT-III compliant, meaning they can take off and land in those low-visibility conditions.
Till last year, Air India was best placed in this regard. But, the LCCs have since almost doubled their number of CAT-III compliant aircraft.
Among them, SpiceJet, which had no CAT-III compliant aircraft last year, has made its entire fleet of 19 Boeing aircraft compatible for landing under CAT- III. IndiGo and GoAir increased it from 19 to all 22 and five to all eight, respectively.
Among the LCCs, JetLite, a subsidiary of Jet Airways, is the worst, with only seven of its 24 aircraft being CAT-III compatible. Still, last year none of its aircraft were.
The total number of CAT-III trained pilots in the country are 1,323 and one-time training for this costs Rs 10 lakh, with recurrent re-training costs.
18/12/09 Mihir Mishra/Business Standard

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Categories: Airports Dec 2009, Low Cost General Dec 2009