Sunday, November 03, 2013

Kabul Airport Landing System Breaks --- KABUL—The Kabul international airport's automated landing system used in low-visibility conditions has been out of service for over two months, officials said, potentially isolating the Afghan capital when winter fog and snow set in. -- So far, Kabul flights haven't been affected, with some 50 civilian aircraft landing and taking off every day using regular visual guidance, GPS and radar. But with winter approaching, Afghan aviation authorities are raising alarm. "It can be very serious in bad weather," said Capt. Hamid Zahir, the head of the civil aviation body that manages the airport. -- The instrument-landing system is an internationally standardized way of providing precision guidance for aircraft on their final approach and landing when visibility is low. Without a functioning instrument-landing system, many flights are likely to be canceled or delayed in bad weather, says Richard Steckel, an airline pilot and researcher at the Center for Aviation Safety Research at Saint Louis University. - More, WSJ

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