DVOR station to be set up near Bhuntar airport soon

Our Correspondent

Kullu, April 25

Finally, there is hope that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will set up the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) near the Bhuntar airport, the process for which was under way for the past five years. The DVOR and the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) will be established on the top of Thachi Hill on the border of Kullu and Mandi districts, about 60 km from the Bhuntar airport. The chances of air operations during bad weather will improve with the setting up of the DVOR station.

An AAI team headed by SR Mahato, Communication Navigation Surveillance System (CNS), General Manager, North Zone, inspected the DVOR site and took stock of all necessary facilities recently. He said that the final installation work would be done on May 5.

With the help of the DVOR and the DME, an aircraft can accurately predict its direction and distance during the flight. The DVOR station will support all aircraft flying within around 200 miles and air operations will be possible at the Bhuntar airport even during bad weather.

Flights often cancelled due to bad weather

• Kullu airport is challenging for pilots because its runway is in a deep valley where peaks rise thousands of feet above it.
• Experts say visibility up to 5,000 m is required for landing and with establishment of the DVOR, the aircraft will be able to land even when the visibility is around 2,500 m.
• Flights to Kullu are frequently cancelled due to bad weather, especially during winter and the rainy season.
• DVOR station will reduce flight cancellation due to bad weather