LAHORE: The main runway of the Lahore airport will be closed for about four months (Aug 15-Dec 11) for 12 hours a day to install Instrument Landing System (ILS) CAT III-B to improve visibility during fog.

The Civil Aviation Authority has recently held a meeting with all airlines and ground handling agents’ representatives and briefed them about its decision.

Official sources told Dawn on Thursday that a Gulf country had ‘gifted’ the ILS CAT III-B system to Pakistan.

CAA will enforce 12-hour closure to install system to improve visibility during fog

The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) and some foreign airlines had expressed their reservations on the CAA plan as they were of the view that they could not afford that their flight operation hampered for such a long period.

“PIA’s aircraft Boeing 777 and 747 which are used for Haj operation, Europe and the US destinations cannot land on a standby runway at the Allama Iqbal International Airport,” a source in PIA said.

He said the CAA had asked the local and foreign airlines to re-schedule their arrivals/departures accordingly, which was difficult for them to do.

“The PIA and some other airlines have opposed this plan,” he said.

CAA spokesman Pervez George told Dawn that the ILS CAT III-B system was being installed to facilitate the airlines as well as passengers. “This system will enable flights landing on even 50 meters visibility. The main runway of the Lahore airport will be closed for 12 hours a day and we have chosen the time to install the system in which not most of the international flights are landing. Besides, the airlines have been asked to reschedule their flights timing accordingly,” he said.

Mr George said hundreds of flights were affected every year in Lahore due to fog and there had been a longstanding demand to install this system.

“The government is keen to facilitate the airlines and passengers by such steps,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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