New Delhi, December 29: Anticipating smoother air traffic operations, all four runways at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport are expected to become operational in the first week of January 2024.

As per official sources, the re-carpeting of Runway 28/10 has nearly concluded, with pending checks by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which is likely to take over the weekend.

"The final check by DGCA is pending and will likely be done by this week. After the go-ahead by DGCA, the runway will be operational. It will smoothen air traffic at Delhi airport," stated a senior Ministry of Civil Aviation official. Delhi: 11 International and Five Domestic Flights to and From Indira Gandhi International Airport Delayed.

This development will increase the number of CAT-III-compliant runways at Delhi Airport, facilitating improved flight scheduling.

Runway 28/10 had been closed for scheduled re-carpeting since mid-September. Delhi Weather: Dense Fog Disrupts Flights, IGI Airport Implements CAT IIIB Operations for Both Takeoffs and Landings.

In light of recent dense fog in Delhi causing delays and diversions, the operationalization of all runways is expected to alleviate the challenges faced by passengers.

Additionally, the diversion of flights during fog depends on pilots being CAT-III trained.

Between December 25th and 28th, 58 flights were diverted from Delhi Airport, with 50 diversions attributed to pilots not being CAT-III trained. A CAT-III trained pilot is equipped to land an aircraft in dense fog with a visibility of about 100 meters.

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