Foggy days ahead for Delhi air traffic

Air passengers headed for Delhi may have to resign themselves to another winter of fog-delayed flights because of the lack of pilots trained in the use of the latest technology used for landing in foggy conditions.

Only 12 of the 870 pilots in the domestic sector have undergone training in the use of the Instrument Landing System Category. Moreover, both pilots and airport officials claim that the CAT IIIA system is ineffective in Delhi, where visibility often drops below 200 metres.

In spite of the fact that the civil aviation ministry had directed Jet Airways and Air Sahara to train pilots on the CAT IIIA system last year, the airlines do not have any trained pilots yet. Indian Airlines has 12 trained pilots, while 23 more are undergoing training.

Airports Authority of India officials are of the opinion that if more pilots flying in the domestic sector are trained in the use of the landing system, there will be lesser diversions during the winter months.

According to data available with the Delhi airport authorities, while 16 international airlines had used the ILS CAT IIIA system on 58 flights last winter, none of the domestic airlines used it. The AAI had declared the system fully operational last year.

"We have 40 CAT II-trained pilots, but we have yet to commence training on CAT IIIA. Our aircraft too, at present, are not compatible with the CAT III system," Air Sahara officials said. Jet Airways officials said all its planes were compatible with the landing system and some pilots might be trained by next winter.

The cost of upgrading aircraft landing systems to CAT IIIA is about Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million).

Most airlines, however, prefer to reschedule their flights in winter. For instance, early morning departures are generally re-scheduled.

According to private airlines sources, just one runway at the Delhi airport does not justify training all their pilots. They said the AAI should use the CAT III system and install it at other airports affected by foggy weather.

"The AAI spent Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) to install the CAT IIIA version in Delhi and it is thoroughly under-utilised. We will install more runways with the facility only if there are more users," a senior AAI official said.

Last year, a number of international flights too were diverted, primarily, because the visibility fell to below 200 metres for a sustained period of time. This had rendered the CAT IIIA system ineffective.

An ILS CAT IIIA system allows aircraft to land with a decision height lower than 30 metres but not lower than 15 metres, and a runway visual range not less than 200 metres. Runway 28 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is the only one in the country with this version.