Hyderabad International Airport has commissioned CAT III Airfield Ground Lighting capability for Runway 09R, strengthening its ability to operate flights during extremely low-visibility conditions. The upgrade is expected to reduce weather-related flight delays and diversions, particularly during the winter fog season.
Hyderabad, November 10 — GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has successfully commissioned CAT III Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) capability for Runway 09R, marking a major upgrade to the airport’s infrastructure and low-visibility operational capabilities.
The transition from CAT II to CAT III capability will allow aircraft operations in significantly lower visibility conditions.
According to GHIAL, the upgraded system should help reduce weather-related flight diversions and delays while providing passengers with a more reliable travel experience, particularly during periods of winter fog.
How CAT III will help passengers
Low visibility can significantly affect aircraft landing and ground movements, leading to delays, diversions and disruptions to airline schedules.
With the new CAT III capability, Hyderabad Airport expects to maintain more efficient flight operations during adverse weather.
For passengers, this could mean fewer delays, fewer diversions and more predictable journeys.
Airlines could also benefit from better operational continuity and improved on-time performance during periods of poor visibility.
GHIAL CEO Kadhir Kadhiravan said the introduction of CAT III capability represents an important milestone in Hyderabad Airport’s efforts to become a future-ready, all-weather aviation hub.
Advanced runway lighting installed
As part of the upgrade, Hyderabad Airport has strengthened several critical airfield systems.
These include CAT III-compliant runway lighting, advanced monitoring systems and Stand Maneuvering Guidance Lights (SMGL).
The guidance lights are designed to provide improved visual guidance for pilots and enhance safety during aircraft movements in low-visibility conditions.
The airport has also deployed an indigenously developed PLC-SCADA-based solution.
PLC refers to Programmable Logic Controller, while SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.
Centralised monitoring from airport operations centre
The new system enables the airport to centrally monitor and control its lighting infrastructure from the Airport Predictive Operation Centre (APOC).
According to GHIAL, this should further improve airside efficiency and operational effectiveness.
The enhancement is particularly important during periods when fog or other weather conditions sharply reduce visibility around an airport.
By improving runway lighting, guidance and centralised monitoring, Hyderabad Airport aims to minimise disruptions while maintaining safe aircraft operations.
The CAT III upgrade therefore strengthens the airport’s ability to handle challenging weather conditions and could provide airlines and passengers with greater schedule reliability during low-visibility periods.
