NEW DELHI: As many as 23 operational airports in the country do not have night landing facility.
The list of airports not having night landing facility also include Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh which was inaugurated in October 2021 giving a major boost to Buddhist tourism circuit.
Others in the list are Salem in Tamil Nadu; Shimla, Kullu and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh; Kalaburagi in Karnataka, and others. Authorities do not permit the aircrafts to land at night at an airport which does not have night landing facility.
India has over 100 operational airports and officials said that the airports not having night landing facility are mostly those witnessing lower passenger traffic. Airports Authority of India, which manages most of the airports in India, takes up a particular one for consideration for providing night landing facilities, when airlines show an interest during night operations.
Airlines have to apply with the Airports Authority of India to facilitate night landing facility in a particular airport and then process of offering the convenience starts. The upgradation of airports, including provision of night landing facility is a continuous process, which depends upon operational requirements, commercial feasibility, etc, and varies from airport to airport in the country, said the ministry of civil aviation in a recent Parliament reply.
The main requirement for night landing is that the runway approach lighting system which includes a series of light bars with strobe lights installed at the end of the runway.