GURUGRAM: The fog window will officially begin for airports across the country, including Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), on Wednesday and will continue up to February 10.
Air India briefed newspersons on Tuesday at its Gurugram headquarters with a presentation on the proactive steps it has taken to ensure minimum impact on flights this year.
A senior operations official said the northern parts of India, including Air India’s primary hub Delhi, experience low visibility due to dense fog, with the potential to cause cascading disruptions across the network. The airline has strengthened internal SOPs and adopted proactive measures to address potential fog-related delays and disruptions.
“We worked in close coordination with all stakeholders and have initiated measures such as CAT III B crew rostering, aircraft readiness, network-wide airport preparedness, tech-enabled passenger assistance and proactive communications to minimise passenger inconvenience,” the official said.
Another official elaborated that crew readiness was prioritised. Crews were trained in Low Visibility Operations (LVO) with CAT III B or specific Instrument Landing System (ILS) qualifications, enabling flights to operate during the critical fog window.
Trained crew members will be on standby. CAT III B-certified aircraft will be deployed strategically at locations prone to fog impact.
Air India has strengthened partnerships with airport authorities. “We are coordinating closely with airport partners and have put in place measures to ensure minimum inconvenience to passengers during the fog season,” an official said.
This includes adequate ground support teams, ready care packages with refreshments at origin and diversion airports, regular announcements, and proactive rebooking for impacted passengers.
Flight schedules have been adjusted to reduce inconvenience on long-haul and metro-to-metro services with onward connections. The airline’s Integrated Operations Control Centre and teams at key airports will work round-the-clock.
Air India has set up dedicated Customer Contact teams to guide passengers on fog-related queries and will send alerts via SMS, WhatsApp and email. Under its Fog Care initiative, passengers affected by fog may avail complimentary rescheduling or a full refund without penalty.