Delay in ILS at Srinagar start worries airlines

Srinagar: The inordinate delay in making the already calibrated Instrumentation Landing System functional at the Srinagar Airport is worrying the airlines operating to and from the aerodrome.
While the ILS has been calibrated nearly a month back, the office of the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) is yet to give a formal nod for putting the vital instrument to use.
The Airports Authority of India calibrated the much-needed equipment, worth Rs 2 crores, in December last year and immediately send a report to the DGCA for ratification.
But, according to sources, the office is yet to respond, much to the annoyance of the airlines. “There is no point delaying approval to the ILS start when the equipment has already been calibrated by an expert team from AAI. The DGCA officials must visit the Srinagar Airport and have a spot assessment of the landing instrument. They are delaying the nod despite the dire need of the vital landing gear at the airport,” said an airline official, insisting not to be named.
The Instrumentation Landing System, according to experts, is a ground-based instrumentation system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching the runway to enable its safe landing during reduced visibility conditions, common in Kashmir during winters.
11/01/11 Faheem Aslam/Greater Kashmir

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Categories: Airports Jan 2011