Key radar out of service at Delhi airport

NEW DELHI: A key radar at the Delhi airport is out of service for maintenance and could cause congestion in the air in the ensuing winters, despite Government's efforts to ensure that pilots of private carriers are trained to operate the high-tech landing systems to counter fog.

Congestion would also be witnessed in Mumbai, though it is not affected by fog, as the main runway would remain closed till November 24 for repairs, resurfacing and construction of rapid exit taxiways, though the alternate runway would be available.

In the national capital, the Surface Movement Radar (SMR) is under major maintenance and would not be available for the next several weeks, airport sources said. Due to this, both runways at Delhi airport would not be available for simultaneous operations, leading to air traffic congestion, they said.

Sources said the Category III (CAT-III) operations, which enable landing in near zero visibility conditions, would not be available at Delhi airport as this crucial radar would be out of service for a long time.

Only CAT-II capabilities of the Instrument Landing System would be operational without the Surface Movement Radar, they said. The SMR is required for CAT-III operations when the visibility range drops to below 1000 metres.

Domestic airlines have been complaining about the excess fuel consumed due to long queues of aircraft during landing, particularly at a time of an exponential rise in aviation turbine fuel prices.