New Delhi: In anticipation of more efficient air traffic operations, it is expected that all four runways at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport will become operational in the first week of January 2024.
According to official sources, the re-carpeting of Runway 28/10 is nearly complete. Pending checks by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are expected to be conducted over the weekend.
Runway 28/10 was closed since mid-September
This development will increase the number of CAT-III-compliant runways at Delhi Airport, enhancing the capability for improved flight scheduling, especially during adverse weather conditions. Runway 28/10 had been closed for scheduled re-carpeting since mid-September.
In light of the recent dense fog in Delhi leading to delays and diversions, the operationalization of all runways is anticipated to alleviate the challenges faced by passengers during adverse weather conditions. Moreover, the diversion of flights during fog is contingent on pilots being CAT-III trained, highlighting the importance of specialized training for such weather conditions.
Several flights diverted from Delhi Airport
Flight operations continued to be impacted by dense fog at the Delhi airport, with nearly 60 flights getting diverted and scores getting delayed during this period.
Airport sources said a total of 58 flights, the majority of them operated by domestic carriers, were diverted due to bad weather between 0000 hours of December 25 to 0600 hours of December 28. Most of the flights had to be diverted, as the pilots were not trained to operate flights in low visibility conditions, the sources claimed.
As many as 13 flights of IndiGo were diverted while 10 flights each of Air India and SpiceJet were diverted during the period. Among others, 5 flights of Vistara, 3 flights of Akasa Air and 2 flights of Alliance Air were diverted at the Delhi airport. The flights were diverted to Jaipur, Lucknow and Indore, among other airports.
CAT III pertains to flight operations in low visibility conditions of about 100 meters. The Delhi airport is the country's largest airport and handles more than 1,300 flights daily. In the past few days, the national capital has been witnessing dense fog, especially in the early morning hours.
(With ANI inputs)
Also Read: Delhi-bound trains running late due to dense fog in North India, check full list
Also Read: Flights diversion, delay continue at Delhi airport due to bad weather | DETAILS
