CAT-III training enables Indian & AI to operate in fog

Having invested over Rs 20 crore in training pilots to operate in foggy conditions, state-owned carriers Indian and Air India have successfully operated most of the flights in and out of Delhi when the airport was badly hit by low visibility in the past few days. In the five days this winter when the runway visibility went down to as low as 50 metres, Indian operated about 30 flights using Category-III Instrument Landing System, while most other airlines cancelled or delayed their services. These comprised both take-offs and landing, which is the most difficult task to perform. Sources in the public sector domestic carrier said Indian was the only airline to have 54 of its planes equipped with CAT-III equipment making them capable of landing in zero-visibility condition.

Along with this, it was the only airline which had over 300 pilots trained to land and take-off in CAT-III condition. On all the days when fog hit Delhi, Indian flights were the first to take off before any airline and allowed to land at the Delhi airport, they said. This winter, dense fog had adversely affected operations at IGI Airport on December 12, 13, 23, 27 and January one and two. The sources said the airline has spent over Rs 20 crore to impart CAT-III training to its pilots, which included class room and simulator training. Besides this, a pilot has to undergo a minimum number of hours of actual flying in those conditions before they are allowed to operate CAT-III.

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