Delhi airport's new SkyCast system reduces flight diversions in storms

Delhi's IGIA has installed India's first 'SkyCast System', leading to fewer flight diversions during bad weather. The advanced tech provides precise, real-time forecasting, allowing ATC and airlines to mitigate disruptions from storms.

Despite severe thunderstorms and inclement weather conditions in the national capital forcing the diversion of 11 flights, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has recorded a noticeable drop in overall disruptions thanks to its newly deployed technology, airport sources said.

According to sources, India's first "SkyCast System" was officially inaugurated at the Delhi airport last Friday. The system represents one of the most significant milestones in the country's aviation history, blending multiple advanced atmospheric observation technologies to deliver high-impact, real-time weather forecasting.

"While 11 flights had to be diverted due to the recent spell of bad weather, the airport has experienced a substantially smaller number of diversions compared to previous instances of similar intensity," an airport source stated.

Sources added that the precision forecasting of the SkyCast System has empowered both air traffic control and airlines to anticipate weather hazards earlier, significantly mitigating chaos and reducing the frequency of diversions during peak storm conditions.

Official Inauguration and Future Expansion

On May 29, Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh today inaugurated India's first "SkyCast System" at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital, calling it the beginning of a new era in Indian aviation. The Minister informed that only 18 such advanced systems exist across the world so far, and India has now become the 19th in the world to install this integrated atmospheric remote sensing system for aviation weather monitoring.

After IGI Airport Delhi, the second such facility will come up at Jewar Airport, followed by expansion to other airports across India, he said. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the SkyCast System and Fog Observatory facility at Glide Path 10, followed by a technical briefing and demonstration by IITM scientists.

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