Instrument Landing System commissioned at Jharsuguda airport

The all-weather instrument landing system (ILS) has been commissioned at the Jharsuguda airport in Odisha, an official said. The ILS is a precision-based approach that will provide pilots both vertical and horizontal guidance during landing, the Veer Surendra Sai Airport director said.

The ILS was commissioned on Thursday. The system uses radio signals to provide necessary guidance to the pilots while they approach for landing even during rain, low clouds and smog.

"ILS gem added in the crown @aaijharsugudaa1. Instrument Landing system commissioned w.e.f 15th July. ILS is a precision based approach which will provide pilots both vertical and horizontal guidance during landing," the airport director tweeted.


Though this airport was meant for only Visual Flight Rules operation, later it had been observed that the city witnessed low visibility and bad weather during most of the year. This caused delay and cancellation of the scheduled flights, an official said.

The Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Jharsuguda district has been developed by the Airports Authority of India in collaboration with the Odisha government at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore, with Rs 75 crore contribution from the state.

The airport has been developed under the Centre's UDAN scheme.

Spread across over 1,027.5 acres of land with a 2,390 -metre-long runway, the area of the terminal building of the airport is 4,000 sqm.

The airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2018, has been developed for all-weather operations, including night operations.