Landing, takeoff calibration done, month-long runway trials up next at Noida Int’l Airport

Noida: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a completion certificate for landing and takeoff calibration at Noida airport, paving the way for runway trials to begin anytime soon.
"Now that DGCA has issued a calibration certificate, it means all systems required for takeoff and descent of a flight are in place. So, we can start trials of the entire runway now.According to our latest timelines, we were supposed to start the trials from Nov 15 this year and continue for about a month. But the early DGCA certificate will enable us to conduct the runways tests ahead of time. We are happy that the project is ready for trials even before the fixed timelines," said Arun Vir Singh, the CEO of Noida International Airport Ltd, UP govt's special purpose vehicle for the project.
Through Oct 10 and 14, a Beech King Air 360ER completed the calibration process — conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with help from DGCA. It involved calibration of the Instrument Landing System (ILS), which guides pilots during landing and takeoff, particularly in low visibility and adverse weather conditions.
After the calibration, the entire runway will now be tested for its surface, navigation systems and the lights that provide visual indication to pilots for their correct descent angle during the final approach.
"The concessionaire will test all the systems in place, including signals, ILS, Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) — lights along the runway — and other requisites before operations can start," added Singh.
The Noida airport — the second such international facility in Delhi-NCR — is set to launch commercial operations on April 17 next year.
In the run-up, the airport concessionaire is likely to apply for an aerodrome licence in Dec. The licence is expected to be issued by the middle of March.
Other essential information on the airport, such as codes and booking details, will be uploaded on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website by Feb 6.
"Ticket bookings will open 90 days in advance for international flights and up to 60 days for domestic services. So, you can expect booking slots to open around Jan or Feb," Singh said.
Initially slated to begin by the end of Sept this year, the airport had plans for up to 65 daily flights, including 62 on domestic routes, two for international destinations, and a cargo flight. The facility is being developed in phases under a 40-year concession agreement with global airports major Zurich AG.