NEWDELHI: The extended portion of the secondary runway over the Adyar River, while being a landmark project for India, has run into procedural hassles and is taking for ever to be commissioned for landing and departures. Thanks to a mistake that the AAI (Airports Authority of India) committed last February by constructing a link-way between the main and secondary runway. The ignorant planning of AAI officials, last year had resulted in removal of the very high frequency omni range equipment (VOR) after which its re-installation is yet to take place.AAI forgot that the link-way they are constructing at the Chennai Airport, to join the main and secondary runway, will result in displacement of the VOR, an essential requirement for any airport from the pilot’s perspective to identify his destination. Subsequently they also realized that there is no other convenient location except for near the hangars which couldn’t be demolished. Hence they are now having to make two VORs- one for each runway. It is a lot of work because new procedures have to be put in place and have to be well tested before it is commissioned. “The trial procedures for VOR of main runway had been initiated but an Indigo airline’s pilot raised certain queries bringing the trial to a halt. Once the main runway VOR is installed, only then can VOR for secondary runway be even dreamt of wherein a fresh set of procedures have to go through the same set of trials. Had the AAI not planned so poorly, the existing VOR would have now been serving both runways,” an AAI official in Delhi said adding that there is no planning yet for the VOR of secondary runway.A VOR is basically a navigational instrument which gives out radials to the pilot for setting his course to come into his destination airport. A VOR, apart from a homing device, is a primary facility for an instrument approach when a pilot practices automated landing instead of manually controlling or visual flying. In the absence of a VOR, IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) landing cannot be done at all. Moreover, in absence of VOR and instrument landing system equipments visibility will become very poor leading to more diversions. Night operations is also not possible. An estimated 8000 ft of the runway is now ready which AAI officials say, can land any type of aircraft including the bigger makes like that of the Boeing 777 and 747.
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