The Hindu Business Line : Govt reviews arrangements at airports for winter operations

THE Government on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of airlines, airports and other agencies concerned for smooth operation of air services during foggy weather at metro and other major airports in the country.

A meeting convened by Mr Ajay Prasad, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, decided to make elaborate arrangements to ensure maximum convenience of all air travellers, an official statement said. It was decided that a coordination committee would monitor the start-up clearances to manage and prioritise the movement of flights during fog.

The ILS Cat IIIA landing system is operational in Indira Gandhi International Airport here. This will permit aircraft to land even when runway visual range is 200 metres.

Diversionary airfields such as Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Lucknow, Jaipur, Bangalore, Mumbai have been introduced to avoid congestion, the statement said.

The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will keep in readiness a team of officers who will be available at the air traffic control for monitoring the flow of flight traffic.

The Indian Meteorological Department will provide timely forecast of fog and the trend on forecast regarding visibility will be available on the Internet site of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and major airlines.

Carriers are also tying up with television and radio channels for transmitting information on delayed flights.