Nine flights were diverted from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) today due to dense fog.
Airport authorities, in a message, said four flights were diverted to Chattogram, four to Kolkata in India, and one to Bangkok in Thailand.
Operations resumed normally once weather conditions improved.
Frequent diversions during winter have been attributed to low visibility and the absence of a Category 2 Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Dhaka airport.
Aviation experts said upgrading the current Category 1 ILS to Category 2 would resolve the problem, but the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has yet to complete the work.
ILS is a precision runway approach aid using radio signals and high-intensity lighting arrays to guide pilots during landings in thick fog.
Without the upgrade, flights are often diverted to Sylhet, Chattogram, India, Thailand, and Malaysia -- leading to delays across overall flight schedules, suffering of passengers, and financial losses for airlines due to extra fuel costs and airport charges, including landing and parking fees at alternative airports.
A senior pilot of Biman Bangladesh Airlines today told that diversions and returning to Dhaka require substantial fuel depending on distance.
Chiefs of flight safety at private airlines noted Dhaka airport actually needs a Category 3 ILS, which allows landings even in zero visibility. Kolkata airport already operates with Category 2.
Pilots said a minimum visibility of 800 metres is required for landing at HSIA.
Upgrading the airport's ILS would involve the implementation of a highly accurate radio signal-based navigation aid providing horizontal and vertical guidance.
FP/MI
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