'Full confidence' in Cat 3 landing system after foggy Friday, says airport authority

The St. John's International Airport Authority says it has "full confidence" in its new instrument landing system, despite being bested by heavy fog onFriday.

"The situation last Friday was exceptional," saidGlennMahon, director of operations at the airport.

"As you know, we operate in one of the most challenging weather environments in the country."

Flights arrived and departed early in the day, but thick fog moved in after 8:30 a.m.leading to a barrage ofcancellations and frustrated travellers.

The number of cancelled flights raised some eyebrows, considering the expectations of a new$37.5 million Category III Instrument Landing System (Cat 3 ILS).

In a release Monday, the airport authority said between8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.local time Friday,eight flights with 900 passengers operated on schedule utilizing Cat 3 ILS andlow visibility technology.

The "extreme combination of fog and winds" made flight operations "challenging,"especially forsome of the smaller, regional airlines that are not equipped to utilize the new technology, said the news release.

The new system allows flights to land if there's600 feet of visibility but the airport authority said for most of Friday, visibility was half that.

"During that same period,two flights were diverted due to visibility being below Cat 3 limits at the time. Two other additional flights were cancelled for issues unrelated to fog or Cat 3 conditions," Mahon told the St. John's Morning Show.

"These aircraft were Cat 3capable, and had these aircrafts gotten in, it would have resulted in probably close to another 800-1,000passengers unaffected."

The airport authority said while not all planes can utilize Cat 3 ILS technology,80 per cent of passenger traffic through YYTis handled by Air Canada and WestJet, and both have theaircraft and crew capability to use the new system.

"We have been assured by each airline that during low-visibility events, theappropriate aircraft and crews will be deployed at St. John's International Airport," said Mahon.

Mahonsaid he has full confidence in the new system, which was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.

"This system is going to serve us for decades to come."