‘Alter rule to lower visibility limit’

Airlines want take-off visibility limit reduced, but DGCA has yet to sanction the plan

Recent disruptions in flight schedules on foggy days and the ensuing chaos at airports have forced the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to consider lowering the  “take off minima” under foggy situations.

Take off minima refers to the minimum required visibility an aircraft needs to take off in foggy conditions. The current limit is 500 metres.

However, the issue remains in limbo as the decision has yet to be sanctioned by the DGCA. K Gohain, DGCA director, says the agency is in talks with airlines to arrive at the benchmark.

“We will arrive at a range, keeping in mind weather conditions and training profile of pilots,” he says.

Some private airlines such as Jet, Kingfisher, GoAir and SpiceJet have confirmed that the DGCA had initiated a dialogue. “The DGCA had called a meeting in the last week of December,” says a SpiceJet spokesperson. “We were told that the decision would be conveyed in three days, but the DGCA has not decided yet.”

Aviation experts feel that the take off minima should be set as per the international standards. “It is high time that India relaxes a lot of stringent aviation rules,” an expert says.

Kapil Kaul, CEO of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, says, “When an aircraft is taking off or landing, there has to be a minimum runway visibility range. In India, these rules have been followed stringently. As the aviation industry moves ahead, we have to bring the rules and regulations at par with international regulations.”

Kaul says that the state will have to finetune several regulations to allow the industry to implement a take off minima within the next six months, without compromising on safety. “The minima should be near the international standard of 200-150 metres as opposed to 500,” he says.

Experts say reducing take off minima will increase the fleet of airlines as well as airport productivity. “It will reduce fog-related delays by as much as 65 per cent,” says another aviation expert.

Most private airlines want the DGCA to implement the rule this season. “The weather has been quirky this season across the globe, forcing international airports such as Heathrow, Denver and Chicago to close shop for a couple of days,” says a JET spokesperson. But some airlines say the DGCA may be mulling the move as foggy weather has given Indian Airlines an edge over its competitors as it is the largest domestic player.

CAT III B complaint airlines (technology allows aircraft to land under visibility conditions below 50 metres).