Summary:
Surat: Airlines and the passengers at Surat airport will no longer face flight delays and diversions due to adverse weather conditions and heavy rains. The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) has approved the commissioning of the instrument landing system (ILS), which was damaged due to heavy flooding last year. Due to the insufficient water outlet available at the airport boundary, the combination of heavy rains coupled with high tide in the sea flooded the airport area.As the airport is buzzing with more than 55 flight movements—take offs and landing — in a day, lack of ILS was on the runway was causing immense difficulties for the aircraft pilots to safely land during the adverse weather conditions prevailing in the diamond city due to heavy rains, fog situation during the winter season.A senior airport officer said, “Following DGCA approval, the ILS will be commissioned starting from March 28.” The repaired ILS will become operational from Thursday.A team of senior officials from Airports Authority of India (AAI) had visited the airport for the ILS inspection and suggested to raise the equipment hut by almost 3.5 feet to protect it from damag during floods.The work of raising the height of the ILS equipment hut and other instruments was completed and that the calibration work was performed.Sources said that the airport is located close to the Arabian sea and that the ILS equipment hut site is set up in the low-lying area where the ground level is around three to four feet lower..