GUJSAIL Advances CAT-I ILS Installation at Surat Airport

Surat : The outdated lighting systems at the Surat International Airport will be replaced soon.. Thanks to the Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Limited (GUJSAIL) for initiating the process of acquiring land for the installation of the CAT-I Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Surat international airport.

This development has come after the article titled “Surat International Airport devoid of CAT-1 ILS for safe aircraft landing’published in the Free Press Journal Gujarat edition on June 28, 2024 highlighting the long pending demand of the Surat collector for 20.33 acre land for installing the CAT-1 Instrument Landing System (ILS), which is absolutely necessary for safe aircraft landings in low visibility, with the GUJSAIL.

 GUJSAIL has now officially begun the land acquisition process through the Gati Shakti Portal. Consequently, the District Collector of Surat has appointed a Special Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) – Branch No. 1 to oversee this crucial initiative.

Official sources said that the process for the land required for operational clearance of 10 meter height for new road and ILS (CAT-1) approach lights has been started for Surat Airport. For this 8.15 hectares (about 20.33 acre land) has been identified in block number 44/B, 45, 48, 49/1, 49/2, 50/2/1, 50/2/2, and 51/5 in Magdalla village for acquisition. 

The subsequent step involves securing formal approval from the state government as per the 10 A proposal via the Gati Shakti Portal. Once approved, a notification for land acquisition will be published in newspapers, in accordance with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

This move marks a pivotal moment in enhancing the infrastructure and safety measures at Surat Airport, ensuring safer landings and improved operational efficiency.

At Surat International Airport, flight diversions and delays have become common, which seriously calls for questions regarding aviation safety during the monsoon season. The problem stems from the outdated lighting system at the airport, which compromises landing aircraft vision.

In a letter to GUJSAIL CMD Hareet Shukla, airport activists have urged him to speed up the approval process for acquiring the 20.33 acres of land needed for the CAT-1 ILS at Surat International Airport. Particularly in the monsoon season, the activists assert that the prolonged delay in enhancing the landing mechanism seriously compromises flying operations.

The Surat district collector submitted a proposal for the 20.33 acre land requirement  on behalf of the airport in a letter dated February 29, 2024. The implementation of the CAT-1 ILS, a modern lighting system guaranteeing aircraft safety during landings in low-visibility circumstances, depends on the approval from the GUJSAIL.