Kolkata: Dense fog paving the way for low visibility affected flight movements for the second consecutive day at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport, Kolkata.
According to data shared by Airports Authority of India (AAI), Eastern Region, on Friday, the total number of flight delays in arrival is eight and in departure the figure is 15. Four flights had to return from ramp to parking bays. Seven flights had to be diverted.
It was learnt that due to fog, a low visibility procedure (LVP) had to be implemented from 2:10 am on Friday. Flight arrivals were affected in two phases from 4.02 am to 6.51 am and from 6.53 am to 8.16 am. Similarly, departure of flights was affected from 4.09 am to 5.49 am and from 6.48 am to 8.52 am, according to the AAI statement. Flight operations resumed at 8.17 am.
It was learnt that the Air Traffic Control (ATC) implements LVP when visibility drops below 800 metres, guiding aircraft to their stands using ‘Follow-Me’ vehicles. LVP is also triggered when the cloud ceiling is below 200 feet.
Airport sources said some passengers protested at the terminal building after a private airline cancelled its flight. Flight operations resumed from 8:17 am. On Thursday, flight operations at the Kolkata airport were disrupted due to dense fog, affecting the movement of at least 72 flights. In total, among 12 incoming flights, seven were diverted to Bhubaneshwar, three to Ranchi, one to Chennai and one to Shamshabad. Visibility had dropped below 50 meters. The category (CAT) III-B Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport helps trained pilots to operate in a visibility range of 175-50 metres but not below 50. This is below the permissible limit for commercial aircraft operations.