Soon, navigation aid station to be functional at Kullu airport

Abhinav Vashisht

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KULLU, SEPTEMBER 29

Final phase of preparing procedure for completing and commissioning of the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) being set up by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the top of Thachi hill on the border of Kullu and Mandi, about 60 km from Kullu-Manali airport at Bhuntar, is underway.

Kullu-Manali Airport Director Neeraj Kumar Srivastava said that calibration by Flight Inspection Unit (FIU) team and survey by authorised surveyor had been completed. Now the DVOR coupled with a Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) will be operationalized within three months. The DVOR and DME would be a great help to en route aircraft, he said.

The director said that to meet the global standards of navigational aid supporting aviation security, Kullu-Manali airport authorities had long ago identified Thachi hilltop in Mandi district for DVOR-DME installations.

He said that the practical work for construction of building for the installation of the equipment started nearly two years back.

“Dismal weather conditions and far off distance from the airport site resulted in delay in project completion. Post-completion of the building work, the first phase of installation (physical), was over in May 2022, followed by the second phase of installation (optimisation),” he said. DVOR-DME will be made operational soon, he added.

The global aviation watchdog ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) considers DVOR coupled with DME a standard navigational aid for the approaching aircraft. With the help of the DVOR and DME, the aircraft can accurately predict its direction and distance while traveling in the air. The DVOR station will support all aircraft flying within approximately 200 miles and air operations will be possible in Bhuntar airport even in bad weather.

Kullu airport landing is considered a challenging task for pilots because its runway is set in a deep valley whose peaks rise several thousand feet higher than the runway. Aviation experts state that the visibility of 5,000 metres is required for landing. With the commissioning of the DVOR the aircraft would be able to land even if the visibility was around 2,500 metres.

Flights to Kullu are frequently cancelled due to bad weather, especially during winters and rainy season. The DVOR station will assist in reducing flight cancellations due to bad weather.

Will support aircraft within 200 miles

The global aviation watchdog ICAO considers DVOR coupled with DME a standard navigational aid for the approaching aircraft. With the help of the DVOR and DME, the aircraft can accurately predict its direction and distance while traveling. The DVOR station will support aircraft flying within approximately 200 miles and air operations will be possible in Bhuntar airport even in bad weather.