Tirupati: The Tirupati Airport marked a significant milestone with the commissioning of advanced aviation infrastructure, enhancing its operational capabilities and facilitating the landing and take-off of wide-bodied aircraft here.The newly installed instrument landing system (ILS), the Doppler very high frequency omni range (DVOR), and the distance measuring equipment (DME), along with an extended runway, were formally inaugurated on Friday.The inauguration, in virtual mode, was conducted by M Suresh, member (ANS), and AK Gupta, member (planning) of the AAI, in the presence of Tirupati MP M Gurumurthy, airport director Srinivas Rao Manne, members of the the airport advisory committee and others. The total expenditure for these was `153.16 crore. The installation of the modern DVOR/DME system, commissioned for Runway 26, has boosted the airport’s aircraft-handling capacity, doubling it from 100 to 200 flights per day. This enhancement, costing `5.61 crore, is expected to streamline air traffic management and improve navigational precision. Additionally, the Thales ILS (category I) has been trans-installed at an estimated cost of `4.4 crore. This upgrade reduces the minimum visibility requirement from 1,500 metres to 700 metres, allowing smoother landings even in adverse weather conditions.The system has also adjusted the glide angle from 3.2 degrees to 3 degrees, further enhancing aircraft approach stability.Another notable development is the extension of the airport’s runway, now measuring 3,810 metres—making it the longest among all AAI-operated runways in India. The existing 2,285-metre runway has been strengthened and extended by 240 metres on one side and 1,285 metres on the other. This expansion, costing `143.15 crore, enables the airport to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus 330, opening new possibilities for international operations.Gurumurthy, in a speech, called on officials to launch direct flights from Tirupati to Kuwait and cater to the needs of travelers from the Rayalaseema and Nellore regions. He also stressed the importance of speeding up the establishment of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre at the airport, noting that tenders for the project have already been invited.
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