Air India's Fog Battle: How New Tech and Crews Aim to Minimize Flight Chaos

Air India is gearing up for the challenging winter fog season with a multi-pronged strategy. The airline is ensuring it has the right people and planes by rostering CAT III B-trained crews and deploying certified aircraft. To keep passengers informed and supported, it has activated its 'Fog Care' initiative for proactive alerts and flexible rebooking options. The carrier is also preparing ground teams and care packages at airports to handle potential disruptions smoothly.

Key Points: Air India Prepares for Fog Season with CAT III Crews and Passenger Care

  • Air India is rostering specially trained CAT III B flight crews for low-visibility landings
  • The airline is deploying CAT III B-certified aircraft at strategic, fog-prone locations
  • Its 'Fog Care' initiative proactively alerts passengers to delays and offers free changes
  • The carrier has prepared ground support teams and care packages at key airports for impacted travelers
2 min read

Flight disruptions: Air India to improve safety, minimise passenger inconvenience

Air India announces CAT III B crew rostering, certified aircraft, and its 'Fog Care' initiative to minimize disruptions and assist passengers during the winter fog season.

"Passengers can also avail complimentary rescheduling or opt for full refund without penalty through Air India Fog Care. - Air India"

New Delhi, Dec 9

Amid flight disruptions, Air India on Tuesday said it has stepped up preparations to minimise passenger inconvenience during the ensuing fog season, announcing measures including CAT III B crew rostering, deployment of CAT III B‑certified aircraft, network-wide airport readiness, tech-enabled passenger assistance and proactive communications.

CAT III B crew Rostering and certified aircraft means assigning specially trained and certified flight crews along with deploying aircraft that can land in low visibility conditions.

Air India has also activated its 'Fog Care' initiative to help passengers in scenarios where there are delays or schedule changes due to situations beyond our control, a release said.

Under the initiative, flights that are likely to be affected by fog, based on met forecast, are proactively identified and passengers are alerted about any delay or a change in schedule, the company said.

Passengers can also avail complimentary rescheduling or opt for full refund without penalty through Air India Fog Care.

The carrier said that northern India, including its primary hub Delhi, faces low visibility from dense fog that can impact flight schedules across its network.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has designated December 10, 2025 to February 10, 2026 as the official fog window this season.

Air India said it has strengthened internal standard operating procedures and adopted proactive measures to address potential fog-related delays and disruptions.

Initiatives include ensuring adequate cockpit crew trained in low visibility operations through CAT III B or specific Instrument Landing System (ILS) and standby crews for exigencies.

Further, CAT III B certified aircraft will be deployed for operations during the fog window at strategic locations that are prone to fog impact.

Further, the airline said it ensured adequate ground support teams to aid passengers and kept ready care packages with refreshments and other resources at origin as well as diversion airports. Airport teams will monitor delays, make regular announcements, and proactively rebook impacted passengers on alternative flights.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Finally! Proactive measures are the need of the hour. Last year my family was stuck at the airport for 8 hours with zero information. Regular announcements and refreshments are basic decency. Good to see Air India planning for it. 🤞
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Aman W
Sounds good in a press release. But will the ground staff be trained and empowered enough to actually help? Often the problem is not the policy, but the execution at the airport when chaos erupts. Deploying CAT III aircraft is technically sound, though.
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Sarah B
As a frequent traveler to India for work, the winter fog is a known challenge. A structured approach with tech-enabled alerts is exactly what modern passengers expect. The full refund option without penalty shows confidence in their own planning. Hope other airlines follow.
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Vikram M
The key is "proactive communication". Most passenger anger comes from being kept in the dark. If they can SMS me an hour before I leave for the airport about a delay, it would save so much hassle. The 'care packages' are a nice touch for those already at the airport.
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Karthik V
Respectfully, I'll believe it when I see it. Air India has a history of grand announcements. Fog season is an annual event, not a surprise. This level of preparation should have been standard practice years ago. Better late than never, I suppose.
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