Flights from B'luru airport's new runway can now take off and land even during fog

Bengaluru: The new runaway, New South Parallel Runway inaugurated last year, at the Kempegowda International Airport here, is now an Instrument Landing System CAT-III-B compliant runway making it usable even in foggy weather conditions.

The compliance also makes the runaway eligible to land a Code F aircraft: aircraft with a wingspan between 65 and 80 metres.

Meanwhile, the old runway is getting a facelift with new surface and centre lights but will remain a CAT-I runaway, leaving it to the pilot’s discretion whether or not to land on the runway during a fog.

Visibility becomes a problem at the airport during the winter months of November and December. Thick fog engulfs the runaway making the airport authorities halt takeoffs and landings for long hours.