Though the winter is yet to hit the region in a big way, the early fog started trouble for Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, as flights were affected due to the first fog of the season.
Since there was a thick blanket of fog on the outskirts on Thursday morning, the SpiceJet flight was diverted and did not land in Amritsar whereas the Jet Airways flight coming from Delhi was delayed by an hour.
Giving details, airport director Suneel Dutt said, "The visibility was poor on Thursday morning between 7.40 and 9.40, leading to disruption in flights. The SpiceJet flight coming from Delhi was diverted back whereas the Jet Airways coming from Delhi was delayed by an hour."
The director claimed that though the advanced category II (CAT II) was operational now but the visibility was below the CAT II conditions.
Though the trouble was enormous earlier, the airport authorities claimed that after the installation of the CAT II landing system, things had improved. The installation of the CAT II landing system had reduced the visibility requirement for an aircraft landing at Amritsar airport to 350 metres, claimed the director.
Fog has been a major hindrance for smooth operation of flights every winter. It has been seen that during dense fog, many flights get delayed, cancelled or diverted. Passengers who reach the airport have to wait for hours before the fog clears off.
{{/usCountry}}Fog has been a major hindrance for smooth operation of flights every winter. It has been seen that during dense fog, many flights get delayed, cancelled or diverted. Passengers who reach the airport have to wait for hours before the fog clears off.
{{/usCountry}}"CAT II will be a great help this season. Though the fog is too heavy in Amritsar, we cannot ask for further advanced category as there is not enough traffic," said the airport director.