Port Blair: The Veer Savarkar International (VSI) Airport in Port Blair of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been equipped with advance technology to facilitate flight operations during the night.
A private airline was the first to land using the instrument landing system (ILS) at VSI Airport at the night of April 18. The airport has undergone a significant upgradation and advancements to allow landing and take off of the flight at nights, said a senior officer of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
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The aviation infrastructure at INS Utkrosh in Port Blair has also been upgraded to let the aircrafts operate both during the day and night time with equal ease. The modernization effort, under Project MAFI (Modernisation of Airfield Infrastructure), was conceived at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi and executed under the supervision of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC).
Officials said that a new airfield lighting system (AFLS) and CAT-II approach lighting system have been installed at VSI airport to mordernise its infrastructure. These advancements are complemented by a Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and the Glide Path (GP) of the ILS, installed by the AAI.
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The new set of equipment help the flights take off and land in low visibility and nighttime conditions and thereby ensure greater safety and efficiency. Besides, the airport has also been equipped with commissioning of a tactical air navigation system (TACAN) and a precision approach radar (PAR) to guide pilots during the difficult weather conditions.
AAI officials said that these installations will provide a significant boost in safety for military flights, especially fighter operations, making Utkrosh Airfield fully capable of handling operations around the clock.
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The upgrade of technical capability of the airport will not only enhance the strategic importance of Port Blair Airport but also play a critical role in improving regional connectivity. These developments mark a crucial step in improving regional connectivity and strengthening the UDAN scheme, benefiting islanders and enabling tourists to visit and explore exotic places in North Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
