Weather plays foul, all flights to Kangra airport cancelled

All five flights to the Kangra airport were cancelled on Sunday due to poor visibility conditions — as reported by the Meteorological Department, which measures visibility every half hour. The cancellations affected services from airlines, including SpiceJet, IndiGo and Alliance...

Raghav Guleria

Dharamsala, Updated At : 05:00 AM Nov 11, 2024 IST

The uncertainty surrounding flight schedules has been a long-standing issue, impeding the growth of tourism in the region. File

The flight cancellation was especially frustrating for those who had planned their trips well in advance. The uncertainty surrounding flight schedules has been a long-standing issue, impeding the growth of tourism in the region. With the wedding season in full swing, the flight cancellations have left those attending weddings in limbo.

Aishwarya Katoch, the scion of Kangra royal family, expressed his concern over the impact on the high-profile guests attending his son Ambikeshwar Katoch’s wedding. Talking to The Tribune, Ambikeshwar Katoch said, “My friends from the UK are stranded in Delhi as all flights have been cancelled. There are so many guests lined up for tomorrow and the day after. I am really worried for them.”

According to airport authorities, the current Visual Flight Rules (VFR) mandate that a minimum visibility of 5 km is required for landings. This has highlighted the lack of an instrument landing system (ILS) at the airport, which would facilitate landings in low visibility conditions. The existing runway at Kangra airport is 1,376m-long, which is insufficient for the installation of an ILS system, pointing towards the immediate expansion of the runway to the proposed 3,010 m.

Kangra airport Director Dhirender Singh said with the Indian Air Force (IAF) bases at Pathankot and Adampur, the control zone has been marked for the Air Traffic Control (ATC). Highlighting the need for expansion, he said, “Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) would allow landings even with reduced visibility.” He added that discussions were underway with the IAF to relax the visibility requirements from 5,000 m to 3,000 m, which could facilitate landings in adverse weather conditions.

MP Rajiv Bhardwaj has also assured to take up the matter with the authorities concerned on priority.