Chandigarh: The failure of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to install a superior instrument landing system (ILS), a navigation aid for safe landing of aircraft in poor visibility, has almost grounded the airport as fog has forced the cancellation of a majority of flights since the last week.
The Airport Authorities of India (AAI) had installed category I (CAT I) ILS in 2011 that allowed flights to land if the visibility dropped to 1,200 metres. But as a curtain of fog envelopes the city from December-mid to January-end, flying becomes a mission impossible. Losing hundreds of flight hours becomes an annual feature. Only a category III (CAT III) ILS can rescue the airport. It allows planes to land even if the visibility plummets to 50 to 100 metres.
23/12/14 Ajay Sura/Times of India
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The Airport Authorities of India (AAI) had installed category I (CAT I) ILS in 2011 that allowed flights to land if the visibility dropped to 1,200 metres. But as a curtain of fog envelopes the city from December-mid to January-end, flying becomes a mission impossible. Losing hundreds of flight hours becomes an annual feature. Only a category III (CAT III) ILS can rescue the airport. It allows planes to land even if the visibility plummets to 50 to 100 metres.
23/12/14 Ajay Sura/Times of India
