Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu held a review meeting on Wednesday with key stakeholders to address fog preparedness and measures to minimize disruptions during winter. Airlines have been directed to proactively inform passengers about delays, ensure fully staffed check-in counters, and allow passengers to exit the aircraft through departure gates during extended delays, as per earlier norms.
The Civil Aviation Ministry stated that preparations to manage visibility-related challenges are progressing well, with significant strides made in addressing bottlenecks.
The meeting included Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, officials from DGCA, BCAS, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi airport operator DIAL, and airline representatives.
Key directives issued to airlines include:
- Proactive communication about delays or cancellations due to visibility issues.
- Ensuring accurate passenger contact details at the time of ticket booking.
- Adherence to DGCA guidelines on deploying CAT II/III compliant aircraft and pilots for fog-prone airports.
In cases of delays exceeding three hours, flights will be canceled. Airlines have also committed to using CAT II/III Instrument Landing System (ILS) compliant aircraft for Delhi and other affected airports. At Delhi airport, three of its four runways are equipped with CAT III ILS, enabling operations in low-visibility conditions.
Recent weather disruptions in Delhi led to 15 flight diversions and delays for over 100 flights. To address such situations, BCAS guidelines now allow passengers stranded due to weather or technical delays to re