JOIN USFog hits 67 flights at KIA
Flight disruptions due to poor visibility hit the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here again on Sunday morning as fog enveloped the entire area. As many as 67 aircraft movements were affected, according to the airport spokesperson.
All flight operations had to be suspended between 6.32 am and 8.32 am. Departures of 38 flights were delayed as visibility dropped to near zero. These included two international flights, IndiGo’s 6E-095 to Dubai and British Airways BA-119 flight to London.
Besides, the arrival of 17 flights to KIA was delayed, resuming only after 8.32 am. Twelve incoming flights were diverted to other airports. Among them were two international, two domestic and eight domestic cargo flights.
This is the second major fog-linked impact of the season after last Tuesday, when 90 flights were delayed, diverted or cancelled.
As the season progresses, the weather disruptions are expected to get worse. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded a low of 12.5 degrees Celsius at the airport. It has forecast fog or mist during early morning hours for the next two days.
Fog delays have been an annual feature at KIA. The airport's existing runway is equipped only with a Category-I Instrument Landing System (ILS). This requires an aircraft to have a Runway Visual Range (RVR) of 550 metres for safe landings and take-offs.
There are no plans to upgrade the runway to higher ILS categories, though the second runway will be equipped with a CAT III-B ILS that allows flight operations even with visibility of 46 metres. New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has such a system to deal with fog delays.
The departure lounges were crowded for over two hours. The disruptions had a cascading effect on other flights in the afternoon. However, many airlines sent advance information through SMSes to passengers heading to KIA.