CAT 22 fogs up airports

Despite the fact that the DGCA has announced that those airlines having CAT III compliant landing system would be given priority in start up and sequencing of their aircraft and it having cancelled flights of airliners not having the capability to operate in dense fog conditions, most of the private airlines will still fly on a CAT II compliant aircraft this winter. This means that during zero visibility conditions (which occurred last week), passengers will have to spend long hours at the airport or in transit or even face the possibility of the flight being cancelled.
Despite Jet Airways positioning 170 CAT II trained pilots in Delhi and across the network and rescheduling some of its flights (with effect from December 24 till January 15, 2007), it will only be able to fly under CAT III conditions next season.
Aviation expert Naresh Chandra said that “the economics doesn’t work out” for most of the private airlines which have to train the pilot and get an aircraft which is CAT III compliant for just fifteen days of weather conditions, especially since this costs Rs12 lakh per pilot.
15/12/06 Manisha Singhal & Megha Chaturvedi/Daily News & Analysis

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