As many as 10 flights, scheduled to take off from Kolkata airport, were delayed due to dense fog on Wednesday. Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said while there were no delay in the arrival of slights, departure was affected due to fog. The arrival of flights was not impacted as the aircraft landed during low visibility procedures (LVP). LVP was implemented from 3:40 am to 7:40 am, an AAI spokesperson said.
Kolkata weather
As per the weather forecast shared by IMD Kolkata, dense fog is predicted only for today in certain parts of West Bengal, including Kolkata. The sky is predicted to remain clear during the remaining days. The minimum and maximum temperature on Wednesday would remain 21 Degrees Celsius and 30 Degrees Celsius respectively. On Thursday, the sky would remain clear.
"Shallow to moderate fog likely to prevail at one or two places in morning hours over Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, EastMidnapore, West Midnapore, West Burdwan,Murshidabad, Jhargram, Purulia, Birbhum, Bankura districts of Gangetic West Bengal during next 24 hours," the forecast reads. It further adds, "no large change in night temperature( Minimum temperature) during next 24 hrs. and fall by 2-3 °C during subsequent 2 days and again gradual rise by 2-3 °C during subsequent 2 days over the land area of West Bengal."
AAI officials explains LVP
The ATC declares LVP when visibility falls below 800 metres, after which 'follow-me' vehicles guide aircraft to their stand. It 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. These ensure that aircraft are able to land, taxi, and take off safely, using advanced navigation systems and ground lighting, explained an AAI official.
On Wednesday, 12 incoming flights to Kolkata and 26 flights departing from the city operated during LVP.
(With PTI inputs)