The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is enhancing the flight landing capacity at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to keep it operational during natural disasters.
Its instrument landing system (ILS) is soon to be upgraded from Category 1 to Category 2. As a result, flights that would have previously diverted to Kolkata amid heavy fog or other natural disasters will be able to land at Dhaka airport.
Sources familiar with the matter said this upgrade would save time, reduce additional costs, improve passenger service quality and enhance the global reputation of the airport. It would also promote tourism and trade, they added.
“We are making all-out efforts to upgrade the ILS to Category 2 by November,” CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan told this correspondent.
“This system will ensure that flights can land at Shahjalal even in adverse weather conditions. To avoid the need for flights to land in neighbouring countries, we have also taken measures to keep the Sylhet and Chittagong airports operational 24 hours a day on a weekly basis.”
Air Commodore AKM Ziaul Haque, member of CAAB’s Air Traffic Management, said that during the winter months, when bad weather disrupted flights, the foggy skies over Dhaka often caused flights to be diverted or missed.
These diversions to neighbouring countries negatively impacted national revenue, he added.
Additionally, airlines suffered financial losses and passengers faced significant inconvenience, the official said.
“This also affects the country’s reputation. Therefore, upgrading to ILS Category 2 is a groundbreaking step for us.”
Ziaul said the upgrade would happen quickly, likely before winter.
As a result, flight diversions would decrease significantly, helping maintain continuous air traffic operations, he added.
“The use of advanced technology in a country’s aviation sector is part of maintaining international standards. This upgrade is crucial for improving the safety and service quality of passengers worldwide,” the CAAB official said.
The instrument landing system is a radio navigation system used in aviation which provides short-range guidance to aircraft for landing at night or during poor weather conditions.
Currently, Dhaka airport operates with an ILS Category 1 system. If there is a power failure, it takes 8 seconds to activate the Category 1 ILS via a generator.
Due to this delay, pilots cannot fully rely on this system, as landing without ILS assistance during poor visibility in those 8 seconds may lead to accidents.
With the introduction of ILS Category 2, pilots will no longer face such risks. Even during foggy or adverse weather conditions, the ILS Category 2 system will provide accurate radio signals to guide pilots for safe landings.
The limitations of the ILS Category 1 system frequently result in the suspension of both domestic and international flights during the winter season due to dense fog. This disrupts flight schedules for airlines throughout the day.
The highest concentration of fog occurs from November to February, severely reducing visibility and preventing aircraft from landing. Excessive rainfall and clouds during the monsoon season also disrupt flight operations.
Work starts in October
The ILS upgrade work will begin in October. From October 1 to October 14, all flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be suspended for 3.5 hours during the night.
Group Captain M Kamrul Islam, executive director of the airport, said on Sunday that the runway would remain closed from 1am to 4:30am for 14 days due to ILS Category 2-related maintenance work.
Chittagong and Sylhet airports
CAAB sources confirmed that Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet would remain operational 24 hours a day on a rotational basis.
Sylhet airport will operate 24 hours from Wednesday to Saturday and Chittagong airport from Sunday to Tuesday.
This initiative aims to prevent flight diversions to countries outside Bangladesh during heavy fog in the winter season.
Aviation expert Wahidul Alam said: “We have been demanding this for a long time. Dense fog often forces flight cancellations or diversions to neighbouring countries, causing airlines significant financial losses.
“This modernization should have happened earlier. If it can be completed before winter, it will undoubtedly be a good step. However, there is some doubt about whether it will be achieved in time.”
Captain Md Siddiqur Rahman, director of flight operations at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, called the upgrade a positive initiative, saying it would improve the visibility threshold for landings.
“Previously, if visibility was too poor, flights had to land in Kolkata. Now they will be able to land at Shahjalal. This will also enhance the capacity of Dhaka airport.”