DGCA issues statement on flight disruption at Delhi’s IGI Airport

The following is the DGCA statement on the disruption of flights at Delhi’s IGI airport on 1 and 2 January 2010:
• Foggy conditions prevailed at IGI Airport on 1 and 2 January 2010, from 2330 hrs to 1351 hrs wherein general visibility dropped to 50 m necessitating Cat IIIB operations.
• Working of RVR equipment on Runway 29 got affected due to damage to cables and RVR equipment for Runway 11 became unserviceable at 0217 hrs and became serviceable at 1040 hrs only.
• Category III operations could not be carried out from 0217 hrs to 1029 hrs.
• During the aforesaid period, 17 flights were diverted and 27 departures rescheduled.
• Awaiting improvement of weather, some flights got considerably delayed due to exceeding of flight time limitations of flight crew.
• Emergency meeting was convened by the Director General of Civil Aviation along with DG Met. Department, Chairman AAI, ATC senior officials and DIAL.
• RVR equipment for Runway 11 has now been made operational with standby radio link. Engineers and Met. Officials will be available round the clock for proper functioning of radio link system.
• Standby system for making RVR equipment for Runway 10 operational is being airlifted from Pune by the first available flight. Steps to make Runway 10 operational will be accomplished within 24 hrs.
• DIAL has been directed to undertake cable repair work for Runway 29 most urgently latest by today night.
• For future, SOPs would be developed for maintenance of Met. cables by airport operators and DIAL in particular for IGI Airport.
• Met. Department will provide one spare RVR equipment for IGI Airport.
• To avoid any possible delay under foggy conditions, operational clarifications have been provided by Flight Inspection Directorate of DGCA to ATC on low visibility take off and Cat IIIB landings procedures.
• As per Met. forecast, the foggy conditions are likely to prevail beyond the next 24 hrs.
• Senior officers of all concerned agencies would be monitoring the situation round the clock to ensure safe operations during low visibility conditions.
• Airlines and DIAL have been asked to ensure proper passenger facilitation and timely information for passengers.
• Fog review meeting was also convened wherein scheduled airlines have been advised to reschedule the flights after assessing the weather forecast on previous day and inform passengers accordingly to avoid any inconvenience.
02/01/10 PRESS RELEASE/Press Information Bureau

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Categories: Airports Jan 2010