Fog landing system: CAT III B ILS has few takers in Delhi

Questions marks over the reliability of the fog landing system CAT III B ILS in Delhi

BY A CORRESPONDENT
7th January 2006

Delhi airport's high-tech category 3B instrument landing system (CAT III B ILS) is expected to help trained pilots land the airline even during low-visibility weather. However, in the fog which descended on Delhi in the first week of January, many pilots, even those trained in CAT IIIB ILS did not use the system, due to which many flights were diverted. Ideally, a pilot using CAT IIIB ILS facility should be able to take off and land when the visibility is as low as 50 meters.

Some pilots say that earlier, a Canadian Airlines had landed with the help of CAT IIIB ILS, but the plane's wing was damaged. It appears that many pilots are still unsure of using the system, though they are trained in it.

The Hindustan Times quoted the pilot of an international airline as saying: "It dented our confidence. Many of us are CAT III C trained -- we can land in zero-visibility. But we are not sure if the system here is calibrated properly,"

The diffidence of pilots landing with CAT IIIB ILS in Delhi raises a question mark over the relevance of the Centre's recent directive to Indian private airlines to train their pilots to use the system or stay away from Delhi during fog.

It has also been reported that the Delhi airport does not have enough trained personnel to operate the system. Delhi airport seems to have only a cosmetic use for the surface movement radars since there are no trained people to use it.

As per an Indian Express report, on January 6 this year, a vehicle has strayed into the runway, which was spotted by an Indian Airlines pilot, but not by the instrument landing system. The pilot reported it to the air traffic control who could not see the vehicle, though it was within the range of the radar. Then, the ground staff was asked to physically verify the presence of the vehicle, when the pilot's observation was confirmed.