On December 24–25 and December 27–28, low visibility caused more than 50 flights headed for Delhi airport to be diverted. As a result, the DGCA issued a show cause notice.
Due to their rostering of pilots who are not in compliance with CAT III, SpiceJet and Air India have received a show cause notice from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The notification was sent out after, according to the civil aviation authorities, over 50 flights headed for the Delhi airport were rerouted on December 24, 25, and December 27–28 because of poor visibility.
“Within 14 days, the two airlines are required to reply. Pilots who are not CAT III compliant are to be rostered, according to the notice, a senior DGCA official told ToI.
In aviation, an instrument landing system (ILS) approach that permits landing in extremely low visibility circumstances, including fog, rain, or snow, is referred to as CAT III.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of civil aviation, had stated on December 29 that the ministry is working with airlines and the Delhi airport to coordinate and implement steps in response to heavy fog that is causing disruptions to aircraft operations at the Delhi airport.
In a PTI interview, the Scindia described the fog problem as a “transitory phenomenon” and added that this year’s fog density has been a little bit above average.
Due to heavy fog, numerous planes at the Delhi airport were delayed and/or diverted.
Every year, we experience 15-20 days of fog, but for the past three or four days this year, there has been unusually high fog. In order to reduce traffic during fog hours, we are working with all the airlines to ensure that they have pilots qualified in CAT II and CAT III,” Scindia stated.
According to the Met Department’s prognosis from last week, visibility at the IGI airport might drop to 0050 meters in extremely dense fog and then increase to 0400 meters in moderate fog today.”
Travelers expressed dissatisfaction at challenges and disruptions brought on by train and aircraft delays. Mohd Shahrukh, a passenger, reported a three-hour delay in his flight.
The Delhi Airport Authority had published a notice warning of potential disruptions during landing and takeoff for aircraft not adhering to CAT III (Category III) norms. An instrument landing system (ILS) that enables aircraft to land in inclement weather, such as fog, snow, or rain, is known as CAT III.
