Airlines prepare to face Delhi fog

MUMBAI: The winter has set in and the airports around the country are abuzz with holiday makers.
Those who are waiting to board flights to Delhi, however, should keep their fingers crossed because there is every chance their flights getting either delayed or cancelled due to fog, which has now become an annual feature at the Delhi airport.
From the beginning of December till the middle of January, the Delhi airport is quite often enveloped by a thick fog, which reduces visibility.
This delays arrivals and departures at the airport, triggering a chain reaction in the network of all the domestic airlines.
Being aware that such a situation can lead to chaos at many airports, airlines have set up special communication and information cells to inform passengers in case there were any changes in their flight schedules.
Aviation sources point out that the category-3 instrument landing system (ILS) has been installed at the Delhi airport a few years ago which allows aircraft landings even in zero visibility conditions.
However, the equipment is not being fully utilised because a large number of Indian pilots are not trained to operate under such a system on account of the exorbitant cost involved.
An Air-India (A-I) official said, "If flights in Delhi are affected, we will reschedule our operations so that flights depart from Mumbai."