Aviation minister holds review meeting; asks airlines to inform passengers on flight delays

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday held a review meeting with various stakeholders on fog preparedness and asked airlines to proactively inform passengers about flight delays as well as ensure check-in counters are fully staffed to help minimise travel disruptions.

Also, passengers will be allowed to exit from an aircraft through an airport departure gate in case there is a long delay in operating the flight after boarding, as per norms issued earlier this year.

"The preparations for managing visibility-related challenges this winter are moving in the right direction with good progress made in resolving the bottlenecks," the civil aviation ministry said in a release.

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, senior officials from the ministry, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi airport operator DIAL and airline representatives, among others, participated in the meeting.

Airlines have been instructed to "proactively communicate with passengers about potential delays/cancellations due to visibility issues and to ensure that correct passenger contact information is recorded during ticket booking.

"The flight has to be cancelled if the delay is exceeding three hours," the release said.

On Monday, bad weather conditions in the national capital resulted in at least 15 flight diversions and a delay of more than 100 flights as visibility conditions were very poor.

Generally, the fog season starts in early December.

According to the release, airlines have confirmed that they will adhere to the DGCA guidelines with respect to deploying CAT II/III compliant aircraft and pilots for Delhi and other airports that could be impacted by fog.

Of the four runways at the Delhi airport, which is also the country's busiest airport, three have CAT III ILS (Instrument Landing System) that will permit flight operations at low visibility levels.

CAT II/III compliance will allow pilots to operate aircraft at low visibility conditions.

As per the release, BCAS circular allows smooth re-entry of passengers stranded inside aircraft due to weather or technical delays, minimising inconvenience and facilitating smoother re-boarding when flights resume.

"A drill of the same by stakeholders concerned is also being carried out," it added.

Proper facilitation of passengers is the priority during times of flight delays and cancellations. Airlines should ensure that all check-in counters at airports are fully staffed to minimise passenger inconvenience, the minister said at the meeting.

Delhi airport operator DIAL (Delhi International Airport Ltd) has been advised to install LED screens at prominent locations for providing real-time updates on visibility conditions to passengers.

Besides, it has been asked to ensure increased availability of 'Follow Me' vehicles to guide aircraft during low-visibility conditions.

While emphasising on having a passenger-centric approach, Naidu mentioned the importance of real-time coordination between Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs), airlines, ground handlers and airport operators to ensure seamless operations.