New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has said that if the crew of airlines is not trained to fly in CAT III conditions, its operations in Delhi will be suspended during the next fog season.
With shortage of pilots trained to fly in zero visibility conditions (Category III) leading to delays and cancellation of flights in the national capital. Seven domestic commercial operators fly to and fro Delhi.
According to DGCA records, 1,283 commanders and 965 co-pilots of these airlines are trained to fly in CAT III conditions which is roughly only half their strength. In the past 10 days, more than 600 flights flying in and out of Delhi have been affected because of dense fog.
Except for Air India and Jet Airways, not many pilots of the other airlines are trained to fly in CAT III conditions. Not all pilots of private airlines are trained to fly using CAT III system, which leads to these delays, added Kumar.
The DGCA has threatened to temporally cancel operations of the airlines that fail to get their crew trained; the private airlines will have to utilize their trained fleet for the capital. “We will utilize our trained pilots to fly in the Delhi sector during the fog season, said an airline operator.
Bureau Report
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