Landing at HSIA in fog now more difficult
While foggy weather disrupts flight schedules at the Dhaka airport, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh on January 10 shut down the Instrument Landing System, the tech that makes it possible for planes to land in low visibility.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities shut down the system because they are upgrading the current Category-1 Instrument Landing System (ILS) to Category-2 which will let pilots land when the visibility is as low as 500 metres. The current system allows landing with a visibility of 800 metres or more.
Officials of several airlines said they were already struggling to maintain flight schedules in foggy conditions, and the absence of ILS is making it worse during this winter.
Upgrading the system in winter is not the logical thing to do, say officials of Biman and several other airlines.
Because of CAAB's sudden decision, many flights are being diverted from Dhaka to other airports in and outside the country, said several airlines officials.
The diverted flights cause travellers to suffer and make the airlines lose a lot of money due to fuel costs, landing and parking fees.
In a recent NOTAM, a notification issued to pilots, the CAAB said ILS would be down from January 10 to the end of February.
This means wide-body planes like Boeing 787s, Boeing 777s and A330s and A350s now require a visibility of at least 1,200 metres to land at the HSIA, according to several Biman pilots.
However, HSIA Executive Director Group Captain Kamrul Islam said the airport's Required Navigation Performance (RNP) system is still allowing pilots to land when the visibility is 800 metres.
But several Biman pilots begged to differ, saying RNP is a non-precision approach which requires greater visibility.
Airlines officials say Dhaka airport needs to upgrade its Category-1 ILS because pilots struggle while landing in winter. From December to February, many flights have to be diverted to different airports in and outside the country because of low visibility.
But the timing of the upgrade work has put them in more trouble, said several pilots, adding that upgrade-work of ILS should be done either before or after winter. "This is not the right time," said a Biman pilot, requesting anonymity.
Shafiul Azim, managing director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said, "Maintaining flight schedules has become a challenge. We are diverting flights. The authorities are doing this for our benefit. But if the regulator does not consult with the operator before making such a decision, then it will end up hurting our interest."
Group Captain Kamrul said the airlines were informed at least 10 days ahead and they are operating flights accordingly.
"The number of diverted flights has not changed. Pilots decide whether they would land using RNP assistance when the visibility is 800 metres or divert," added Kamrul.
Asked why the work was being done in winter, he said such activities are based on schedules. After an ILS system is set up, an international organisation has to calibrate it and the International Civil Aviation Organization has to audit it. "These are all related and pre-scheduled."
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