Muhammad Atif Noor
ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 (APP): Dense fog in Punjab and plains of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa usually becomes a hurdle in safe landing of aircrafts during winter, but this time around a considerable improvement was witnessed at Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP) Lahore due to installment of Instrument Landing System (ILS) CAT IIIB by Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
Being second in South East Asia (SEA) after New Delhi Airport, ILS CAT
IIIB at AIIAP Lahore is a ground based instrument approach system which provides precision guidance to an aircraft landing on the runway during reduced visibility due to fog or blowing snow.
The major components of the system consist of a “Localizer” which helps
guiding the aircraft to runway centerline, a “Glide Scope” helpful to the aircraft for vertical guidance while descending and an Airfield lighting system.
“Around 80 flights have been accommodated at Lahore airport even in
dense fog through ILS in this season,” said Joint Director Public Relations, Civil Aviation Authority Fariha Shah while talking to APP.
She said flights were diverting to Lahore from other airports of the
country as from December 2, to January 21, a total of 40 flights both domestic and international were diverted to Lahore from different airports including Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad, Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar, Multan International Airport, Sialkot International Airport, and Faisalabad International Airport.
Moreover, 40 flights which were bound for AIIAP Lahore also successfully
landed in dense fog, she informed.
Through ILS CAT III‑B, a pilot controls the aircraft in a way that the
glide slope indicator and localizer needle remains centered on the display to ensure proper landing. This system enables pilot to visually identify the runway either by pavement or with the assistance of an associated approach lighting system.
The situation at AIIAP would have been further improved if other
international airlines’ crew was properly trained to handle the technology.
“Although PCAA informed all the airlines in advance to train their
pilots to ensure that respective aircrafts are capable of using ILS CAT IIIB effectively, but some private airlines could not manage to train their crew in time so that they could land in foggy conditions,” Fariha mentioned.
The national airline had professional crew who were trained and able
enough to adopt this system, so they used it effectively for landing safely.
She said, upon special instructions of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad
Shahbaz Sharif, PCAA completed this project in record time by putting in 12 to 15 hours on daily basis.
The ILS CAT IIIB project was initiated on June 16, 2015, while actual
work began on August 15, 2015. Even though 115 km cable laying was done along the runway, but no flight was affected during the complete span of this project work due to advance planning and use of secondary runway.
Fariha said ILS II was being used at AIIAP Lahore since 1999, which
allowed the aircrafts to land in visibility up to 350 meters only, whereas ILS Category IIIB operates in visibility as low as up to 50 meters.
She said due to sheer hard work of the authority in installing the
system, the passengers’ hardships during extreme fog season had drastically reduced showing a positive image of Pakistan and its national institutions across the world.
It is pertinent to mention that flights at Benazir Bhutto International
Airport Islamabad are also affected in every winter due to fog. In order to avoid such inconvenience at New Islamabad International Airport the ILS CAT IIIB will also be installed.
“To ensure uninterrupted flight operations, the new Instrument Landing
System CAT III‑B is being installed at New Islamabad International Airport. The facility will cater all the diversions presently not being accommodated at BBIAP Islamabad and JIAP Karachi,” she added.
ILS CAT IIIB will not only help saving fuel for the airlines but also
ensure their performance, resulting in economic growth for both the airlines and the aviation industry.
Moreover, the difficulties faced by hundreds of thousands of local and
international passengers during fog and other intense weather conditions would also lessen as the time goes on.
However, the system cannot work in isolation and requires trained pilots
and aircrafts equipped to handle it properly.