Delhi airport says prepared to tackle fog

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Wednesday said it was prepared to tackle the fog which the city has been witnessing in the mornings, and that it has equipped itself with better technologies to ensure air safety.

Along with the Airports Authority of India and the Meteorological Department, DIAL said that for the first time, runway 09/27 has been equipped with Runway Visual Range (RVR) devices, which allow departures up to 400 metres of visibility.

"We have introduced pre-departure sequencing for this fog season. This will enable us to recover much faster at the time of flight disruption during low visibility condition," DIAL CEO I. Prabhakaran Rao said at a workshop organised at the airport to elaborate on its preparedness to fight fog.

The number of parking bays have also been increased from 21 to 28 for different types of aircraft so as to facilitate a higher number to be parked in case the weather worsens, he said.

Passengers will also have an access to 'Live Flight Information' on the airport's website, so that they are aware if the flight's take off/landing is affected by bad weather.

Rajendra Kumar Jenamani, scientist and head of the Meteorological Watch Office of Delhi, has forecast that the city will be seeing short spells of fog between December 20 and January 31.