BENGALURU: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has achieved a breakthrough in activating the newly installed Instrument Landing System (ILS) on the north runway of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
Using its aircraft, AAI has successfully flight calibrated one of the systems imported from Russia. This runway was not used for landing of flights for three months (barring Tuesdays) to facilitate installation of ILS. Only take offs happened.
ILS is a runway instrument approach aid that ensures safety of passengers by providing accurate guidance to pilots. It ensures precise landing of flights in low visibility conditions, making it indispensable for airports handling high traffic or operating under adverse weather. Since its inception in 2008, flights from KIA faced delays during winter due to fog or poor lighting.
K Anbarasu, general manager, AAI, Bengaluru, said, “Installation of ILS on the old runway 27R was completed on December 27, 2024. We flight calibrated it on January 7. Flight calibration is a process of verifying, aligning and certifying the accuracy of navigation using specially equipped aircraft and calibration systems.”
ILS provides both lateral and vertical guidance to pilots during landing.
“In aviation, accurate performance of navigation is critical to ensure safety and precision of flight operations, particularly during approaching and landing phases. Flight calibration plays a vital role in verifying and maintaining the performance of this system,” Anbarasu said.
Explaining why flight calibration is crucial, Anbarasu said, “ILS performance depends on site conditions, environmental factors and technical issues, which can cause misalignment or inaccuracies in it. These deviations may compromise safety, leading to unstable approaches or missed landings.” Flight calibration is a mandatory requirement by aviation regulatory authorities. The other ILS will be installed on the south runway (09L) in February.
“We need to develop procedures and safety assessments. After approval by the competent authority, it will be commissioned for operations,” Anbarasu said. AAI is on course to commission ILS before its May 2025 deadline.