New Delhi The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is gearing up for dense fog, expected to set in by December 20, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Fog conditions are expected to last 35 days and the airport likely to see 120 hours of fog.
“Fog usually affects flight operations in December and January. On an average, Delhi has 23 days of dense fog over two months. But with the preparations we have in place, fewer flights will be diverted in comparison to previous years,” R K Jenamani, Director, IGIA (IMD) department.
According to Air Traffic Controller (ATC), delays are natural during the fog season as the capacity of runways is reduced by 40 per cent. “During normal days, Delhi airport can handle 75 flights per hour. But during the fog season, the capacity decreases. For safety reasons, we also double the distance between two flight movements,” SB Sharma, Joint General Manager (Air Traffic Management) said.
15/12/12 Shalini Narayan/Express India
