In an effort to make the Jharsuguda airport an all-weather one, it was decided to install the Instrument Landing System (ILS) there soon, official sources said on Wednesday.
The ILS provide pilots with better guidance during an approach to land on the runway.
The system will be installed at the Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore that will be ready for operation within the next six months, the sources said.
Though this airport was meant for only Visual Flight Rules operation, later it had been observed that the city witnessed low visibility and bad weather during most of the year.
This caused delay and cancellation of the scheduled flights, the official pointed out.
On July 1, 4 and 5, flights of Alliance Air and SpiceJet were cancelled due to heavy rainfall and reduced visibility in the area.
"With new navigational facilities, the airport will become an all-weather airport and will enhance connectivity to the coastal state of Odisha," the official said adding that this will also ensure more regular service, benefitting both airlines and passengers.
The Airport Authority of India along with Odisha government, had developed the new airport at Jharsuguda at an investment of about Rs 210 crore. The state government's contribution was Rs 75 crore.
The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 22, 2018.
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