In a heated exchange over the disruptions at Delhi Airport, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia retorted to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s criticism of the government’s handling of fog-induced flight delays. Scindia condemned Tharoor as an ‘arm-chair critic’ who lacked depth in understanding aviation complexities. Tharoor, on his turn, underscored the passengers’ plight, enduring long waits and eating meals on the tarmac, attributing the chaos to government neglect.
Tharoor criticized the inability to upgrade runways to CAT III-C standards, which allow landing in zero visibility. Scindia responded by highlighting the recent growth of trained pilots and ensuring the operational readiness of CAT IIIB runways. He clarified CAT III landings depend on runway capability, aircraft capability, and pilot accreditation, and detailed how India’s majority aircraft fleet and runway visibility thresholds affect operations.
The revamped primary runway at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is set to reopen this week, officials informed. Scindia spoke about delays in making the second CAT IIIB runway operational, citing GRAP IV and G20 factors, and emphasized that runway maintenance is crucial for safety. The cold wave has continued to wreak havoc on northern India’s flight schedules, causing significant delays and cancellations amid dense fog. Weather forecasts signal the continuation of fog situations for several more days, disrupting aviation operations further.
Amid these operational challenges, the political tussle underscores ongoing debates over infrastructure management, safety, and the fulfillment of passenger rights within India’s aviation landscape. As passengers face inconvenience, the authorities and political figures clash over accountability and measures to improve the sector’s resilience and service quality.