Dense fog has once again swept across northern India, exposing critical limitations in the landing infrastructure at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh. This situation led to large-scale flight disruptions and severe inconvenience for passengers.
Daily Disruptions Highlight System Inadequacy
Over the past week, the airport witnessed an average of eight to ten flight cancellations daily. Additionally, twenty to twenty-five flights operated with significant delays each day. Poor visibility and the inadequacy of the existing landing system primarily caused these issues.
Airport sources reported that visibility at Chandigarh frequently dropped to extremely low levels during early morning and late evening hours. At times, visibility plunged close to zero and often fell below fifty metres. Under such conditions, the currently installed low-capacity Instrument Landing System became ineffective. This forced airlines to cancel or divert flights as pilots were unable to land safely.
Missing Higher-Category Landing System
The situation highlighted the absence of a higher-category landing system at the airport. Chandigarh Airport currently operates with CAT-ILS-II on Runway 29. However, Runway 11 lacks an upgraded system capable of handling severe fog conditions. The long-pending CAT-ILS-III, which allows aircraft to land even in near-zero visibility, remains unavailable at the airport.
Partial Upgrade Planned for March
Chandigarh International Airport Limited chief executive officer Ajay Kumar stated that an upgraded CAT-ILS-I system was procured and is ready for installation. "We imported an advanced version of CAT-ILS-I from Korea at a cost of around Rs 2 crore. The installation is planned for Runway 11 and is likely to begin by March," Kumar said.
He explained that once installed, the system will allow pilots to land aircraft with visibility as low as 750 metres. This upgrade should offer some relief during moderate fog conditions.
During the installation process, the Indian Air Force will issue a NOTAM, or Notice to Airmen. Runway 11 will remain closed for civil flight operations for a few days, which may temporarily impact schedules.
Experts Warn of Limited Solution
Aviation experts view the decision as only a partial solution. While the upgraded CAT-ILS-I on Runway 11, along with CAT-ILS-II on Runway 29, will improve operational reliability, the absence of CAT-ILS-III remains a major limitation.
Without CAT-ILS-III, Chandigarh Airport cannot support safe operations of wide-bodied, long-haul aircraft during poor visibility. This significantly dims prospects for direct international connectivity to destinations in Europe, the United States, and Canada.
Broader Challenges at Joint-Use Airports
The issue reflects the broader challenge faced by joint-use airports like Chandigarh. Civil aviation growth ambitions must be balanced against defence requirements. As winter fog episodes grow more intense and frequent, passengers continue to bear the brunt of infrastructure gaps. Delays, cancellations, and missed connections are becoming a seasonal norm.
Wednesday's Severe Impact
Flight operations at Chandigarh Airport were severely hit on Wednesday as dense fog reduced visibility to its lowest levels. This led to widespread cancellations and delays. According to airline data, a total of twenty-six flights were cancelled and twenty-eight flights were delayed during the day.
As fog engulfed the region during morning and evening hours, airlines cancelled several departures and arrivals. Of the total cancellations, fourteen were departure flights and twelve were arrival flights. Most morning and evening departures were cancelled, while several evening arrivals were also called off.
International and Domestic Flight Delays
International operations were also impacted. Two international departures to Abu Dhabi and Dubai were delayed by around two hours and forty-eight minutes respectively.
Among domestic flights, several experienced significant delays:
- IndiGo flight 6E867 to Hyderabad departed over six hours late in the morning.
- IndiGo flight 6E6742 to Delhi also departed more than six hours behind schedule.
- IndiGo flight 6E971 to Chennai faced similar delays.
- Air India flight AI-1862 from Delhi arrived more than five hours behind schedule.
- IndiGo flight 6E-6056 from Goa was delayed by around five hours.
- Flights from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Patna, Pune, and Mumbai were delayed by one to three hours.
Arrivals were equally affected. IndiGo flight 6E6741 from Delhi arrived seven hours late, while IndiGo flight 6E108 from Hyderabad reached Chandigarh after a delay of over six hours. Several other arrivals from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Indore, Srinagar, Chennai, Goa, and Patna were delayed by two to three hours. These extensive delays left passengers stranded for long periods amid poor weather conditions.
