Kolkata airport gears up to fight challenge of low visibility with onset of winter

Kolkata, Nov 29 (PTI) As winter sets in, the Kolkata airport authorities are busy preparing to tackle the issue of low visibility.

Like many other places, Kolkata’s visibility drops due to heavy fog during the winter months, causing an impact on flight operations.

The entire schedule of airlines goes haywire from the very moment the morning flights are delayed due to fog, triggering a cascading effect.

To ensure safety, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport here is gearing up to implement Low Visibility Procedures (LVP).

The ATC declares LVP when visibility falls below 800 meters, and then "Follow-Me" vehicles guide aircraft to their stands when visibility is extremely poor, a top Airports Authority of India (AAI) official in Kolkata said.

The LVP is also activated when the cloud ceiling is below 200 feet.

The procedure involves coordination among the airport operator, air traffic control (ATC), and pilots to manage flights safely and minimise disruptions, the director of NSCBI airport Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria said.

“These ensure that aircraft are able land, taxi, and take off safely, using advanced navigation systems and ground lighting,” he said.

According to Beuria, the AAI will ensure all necessary systems, like Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and ground lights, are working. It will coordinate with various stakeholders, including airlines, to prepare the airport for low-visibility operations.

According to standard procedure, non-essential vehicle movement on runways and taxiways will maintain safety.

All said and done, the airport director is confident that with the advanced technology of ILS available at Kolkata airport, flight disruptions would be minimized.

“The (NSCBI) is equipped with CAT III-B Instrument Landing System (ILS). With the help of this, an aircraft can land with Runway Visual Range (RVR) of up to 50 meters,” the airport director explained.

He said, “In case of delayed flights, special arrangements will be made in the airport. All food outlets will be ready with sufficient stock so as to serve stranded passengers.” A sufficient number of passenger chairs will also be provided for their comfort, he added.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu recently held a review meeting with various stakeholders on fog preparedness and asked airlines to proactively inform passengers about flight delays as well as ensure check-in counters are fully staffed to help minimise travel disruptions.

Meanwhile, low-cost carrier IndiGo is applying some strategies and technology to minimise disruptions across various places, especially in north India, this winter season.

Anticipating the challenges posed by dense fog, the airline will deploy, among other steps, qualified Low Visibility Operations (LVO) crew for the flights scheduled to operate during fog-prone periods to ensure safety and operational reliability, a statement by IndiGo said.

In addition, it strategically positions crew near airports to reduce delays caused by transportation challenges during foggy conditions.

Besides, accommodations and transportation are pre-arranged for crews to ensure they are readily available to operate flights as soon as conditions improve, the airline said. PTI SBN NN