From AI to CAT-III runways: How Delhi Airport plans to keep flights moving this winter

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Delhi Airport has introduced new artificial intelligence tools, upgraded equipment and improved runway systems this winter to reduce delays caused by heavy fog. According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), these advances are expected to make flight operations safer, smoother and far less disrupted during low-visibility conditions.

At the centre of these improvements is the Airport Predictive Operations Centre (APOC). This system brings together real-time information, weather forecasts and airside operations data into one command hub.

By combining all this information, APOC helps teams take quicker decisions during sudden drops in visibility. It also makes it easier to use runways efficiently, assign gates and parking stands, manage aircraft movement in the right order, and share updates with airlines and other partners without delay.

DIAL said this data-driven coordination will help the airport maintain steady operations even when visibility changes quickly.

DIAL has also completed a major airside upgrade with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Dwarka end of runway 10/28 has now been fitted with the CAT-III Instrument Landing System, one of the world’s most advanced landing aids. With this, three runways at Delhi Airport - 10/28, 11L/29R and 11R/29L - are now CAT-III compliant on both ends.

This allows aircraft to land safely even in extremely dense fog. According to DIAL, the upgraded runway system can support nearly 30 landings per hour during low-visibility periods. The improvements are expected to reduce fog-related recovery time by almost four hours.

Additionally, the airport will rely on data from the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX), which claims to predict fog with up to 85% accuracy. WiFEX is a long-term research programme led by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), along with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and DIAL.

The project collects detailed information on temperature, humidity, wind patterns, pollutants, radiation and the behaviour of fog droplets.

This data will help create better fog-forecasting models that can predict conditions from one hour to 36 hours in advance. It will also improve understanding of how dense fog forms locally, leading to better airport planning and overall safety.

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said that while weather disruptions cannot be completely avoided, these new systems will help the airport prepare, respond and recover much faster.