Finally, ILS start at Srinagar airport gets DGCA nod

Srinagar: In a major development, the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finally given its approval for starting the already-calibrated Instrumentation Landing System at the Srinagar ‘International’ Airport, bringing respite to airlines.
“Yes, we have got the DGCA approval,” confirmed the Srinagar-based Director of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Capt. Raj K Malik. “We are all set to use the vital equipment. Nothing is now going to stop us from putting the landing gear to use. It has finally come to the stage where we can safely say we have done it.”
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.
Capt Malik, who has been pushing hard for the ILS start for the past several months, said the DGCA approval was a big achievement. “It is a new year gift to the people of Kashmir. The ILS start was a persistent demand from so many quarters in the Valley. It is certainly a big respite for airlines in general and the pilots in particular,” he told Greater Kashmir.
The AAI, Capt Malik said, is now waiting for the Indian Air Force to issue the notice to airmen, technically called as NOTAM. “We are expecting the NOTAM by Tuesday. And if all goes as planned, we shall have the first ILS landing on Wednesday or Thursday,” he said.
The NOTAM would specify the frequency on which the airlines can land at the Srinagar aerodrome with ILS in operation.
16/01/11 Faheem Aslam/Greater Kashmir

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Categories: Airports Jan 2011