Air India gears up for fog season, to deploy specialised crew, aircraft

The country’s federal aviation regulator, the DGCA, has announced December 10 to February 10 as the official fog window for the season. Keeping this in view, Air India has initiated special preparations and is working in coordination with stakeholders, including CAT III B crew rostering, CAT III B aircraft readiness, network-wide airport readiness, tech-enabled passenger assistance and proactive communications, to minimise passenger inconvenience during the season.

CAT III (Category III) primarily refers to advanced aviation systems, allowing aircraft to land safely in extremely low visibility (dense fog, smog) using instrument landing systems (ILS), but it also denotes safety ratings for electrical test equipment like multi-meters, indicating their capacity to handle high-energy transient voltages in distribution systems. In aviation, it’s a precision approach for bad weather (CAT III A, B, C).

The initiative by the country’s biggest global carrier includes crew, aircraft, station readiness, schedule planning and disruption monitoring.

The airline stated that it would ensure adequate cockpit crew, trained in low visibility operations (LVO) through CAT III B or specific ILS, is in place to operate flights during the critical fog window. This also includes trained crew on stand-by for any exigency.

Moreover, Cat III B certified aircraft will be deployed for operations during the fog window at strategic locations that are prone to fog impact.

Air India has also initiated measures to minimise inconvenience to passengers during the season which will include ensuring there are adequate ground support teams to aid passengers and keeping ready care packages with refreshments and other resources at origin as well as diversion airports.

Airport teams will monitor delays, make regular announcements, and proactively rebook impacted passengers on alternative flights.

Moreover, dedicated teams have been set up as part of the customer contact team to guide passengers on fog-related queries. Passengers will also receive alerts over SMS, WhatsApp and email before arriving at the airport and real-time updates will continue across the Air India website and social channels.

Air India has also activated its fog care initiative to help passengers in scenarios where there are delays or schedule changes due to situations beyond their control. Under the initiative, flights that are likely to be affected by fog, based on met forecast, are proactively identified and passengers are alerted about any delay or a change in schedule. Passengers also have the option to avail complimentary rescheduling or opt for full refund without penalty through Air India Fog Care.