NEW DELHI: The Noida International Airport (NIA) carried out a successful flight trial on Tuesday ahead of the scheduled launch of commercial operations on June 15. The trial involved using an IndiGo plane to assess the co-ordination of multiple aspects of the operation that will facilitate the launch.
The airport authorities said in an official release said, “The NIA successfully conducted a full-scale aircraft turnaround trial on June 9 as part of its Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) programme, in collaboration with IndiGo and key airport partners. The trial simulated a complete aircraft turnaround on the airside, testing the end-to-end coordination of systems, processes and stakeholders.”
The exercise included the use and validation of critical infrastructure, such as visual docking guidance systems, passenger boarding bridges and ground power as well as integrated baggage handling and cargo processes, the airport authorities said.
“In-flight catering and other ground handling activities were also tested, with refuelling scenarios evaluated as part of the operational preparedness framework. As a part of the trial, re-validation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approach procedures was conducted,” the release added.
The turnaround trial forms part of a series of advanced ORAT exercises, which are designed to ensure seamless coordination across all operational interfaces ahead of the commencement of commercial operations, which is set for Monday.
Dubai passengers forced to travel by bus to Delhi
Thunderstorms on Tuesday night forced diversion of 15 incoming flights, including SpiceJet’s Dubai-Delhi flight SG 5106 carrying 63 passengers, to Jaipur. The airline later used a bus to help passengers complete their journey after the cockpit crew exceeded permissible flight duty hours and could not legally operate the flight further.
