KOLKATA: The meteorological department at Kolkata airport has deployed a manual reader to assess the runway visual range (RVR) in the middle of the landing strip. This will compensate for the automated instrument to measure the mid-RVR that has been out of order for a month. Absence of the mid-RVR reading led to large-scale disruption of flight operations on Wednesday when fog had enveloped the airport.
The ILS Category III-B landing system installed at Kolkata airport allows aircraft to land till visibility is up to 50 meters on the runway. If it drops further, operations must be suspended. But on Wednesday morning, touchdown (landing) had to be suspended when the visibility dropped below 550 while take off suspended below 200 m due to the absence of the mid-RVR.
Reading will be provided by a Met official positioned near the centre point when there is fog. He will regularly take the readings manually, noting down how many runway central lights he can view to calculate the visibility range. This information will be passed on to the ATC that will relay it to the pilots.
“The Met department has deployed manual operation of portable mid-RVR instruments from Thursday. It will continue to operate the system manually till the automated instrument is repaired or replaced. Operations can now continue undisturbed till visibility drops drastically,” said airport director C Pattabhi.
Airlines operating out of Kolkata airport are relieved at the development as this will mean less diversions and delays on fog days. “Diversions not only lead to additional fuel consumption as flights travel to other airports and then back after the fog lifts, they also jeopardize flight schedules as subsequent flights operated by the aircraft also get hit,” an airline official said.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/runway-fog-reader-to-ease-kolkata-air-traffic/articleshow/88200202.cms
