Chennai: In a bid to minimise air traf fic congestion and allow aircraft to land when visibility is low, Airports Authority of India (AAI) said Chennai airport runway will get embedded lights that will help pilots spot the centre line.
The main runway -which is the only usable runway as the second one does not have instrument landing system and approach lights -is designated as category I (CAT I) and needs 550m visibility and higher glide path for planes to land. The move to install the lights comes as part of an upgrade programme aimed at easing congestion on air when smog and fog hits operations at the airport in November and January .
A senior official said, "The embedded lights will help pilots to spot the centre line of the runway from afar when visibility is low. Aircraft home in on the landing point of a runway by sensing the signals sent out by instrument landing system. Pilots need to align the plane to the centre line while landing, the new upgraded lights will help the airport to allow more landing when visibility is better than the minimum 550m."
However, it is not clear whether AAI would want to upgrade the runway to Cat II where pilots will be able to land when visibility is at 400m to 300m.
20/01/16 Times of India
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The main runway -which is the only usable runway as the second one does not have instrument landing system and approach lights -is designated as category I (CAT I) and needs 550m visibility and higher glide path for planes to land. The move to install the lights comes as part of an upgrade programme aimed at easing congestion on air when smog and fog hits operations at the airport in November and January .
A senior official said, "The embedded lights will help pilots to spot the centre line of the runway from afar when visibility is low. Aircraft home in on the landing point of a runway by sensing the signals sent out by instrument landing system. Pilots need to align the plane to the centre line while landing, the new upgraded lights will help the airport to allow more landing when visibility is better than the minimum 550m."
However, it is not clear whether AAI would want to upgrade the runway to Cat II where pilots will be able to land when visibility is at 400m to 300m.
20/01/16 Times of India
