Morning flight ops hit as dense fog reduces visibility
Times of India | 3 February 2025
Kolkata: Thick fog and poor visibility hampered flight movement at Kolkata airport on Sunday. Officers said that between 5.40 am and 8 am, 39 flights operated on time instead of the scheduled 50.
Airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria said low visibility procedures (LVP) were implemented at the airport from 5.40 am. "Till 8 am, there were 17 arrivals and 22 departures. One flight arrived late and 10 flights experienced delayed departures," he said.
Due to poor visibility at Dhaka, one flight was diverted to Kolkata at a later stage.
The Air Traffic Control initiates LVP when visibility drops under 800 m, during which aircraft receive guidance from ‘follow-me' vehicles to reach their designated positions, said a senior AAI official in Kolkata. The implementation of LVP also occurs when the cloud ceiling descends below 200 feet.
The operation requires seamless collaboration between the airport administration, ATC, and flight crew. These measures help aircraft perform landing, taxiing, and take-off operations safely by utilising sophisticated navigation equipment and ground illumination systems.
Flight services at Kolkata airport faced interruptions over three days between Jan 23 and 25 owing to thick fog conditions, which impacted airline timetables and created difficulties for travellers. During this period, the disruptions affected 72 flights on Jan 23, 34 flights on Jan 24, and 53 flights on Jan 25.