LAHORE: The Allama Iqbal International Airport has become the first airport in the country and second in South Asia where the latest instrument landing system (ILS) CAT III-B has been installed to improve visibility during fog.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inspected and inaugurated on Saturday the latest landing system installed on the runway.

He said the project had been completed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a record period of time and it would not only ensure safe landing of planes in fog and inclement weather but also help save time. “Now the aircraft will land safely in fog and the schedule of flights will not be affected.” The chief minister expressed the hope that the modern system would also be installed at other airports.

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shujaat Azeem apprised him of the salient features of the system.

Throughout August, the CAA closed the main runway of the Lahore airport for 12 hours a day to install it. The system will enable flights landing at even 50-metre visibility.

Hundreds of flights are affected every year in Lahore because of fog.

The ILS CAT-III is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft for safe landing during conditions such as low ceiling or reduced visibility due to fog, smog, rain and other meteorological phenomena.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2015