After completing the certification process, Colombia’s aeronautical authority (Aeronáutica Civil) put into operation at El Dorado Airport (BOG) the CAT IIIa instrument landing system (ILS) at the western end of the northern runway (13L), which will allow aircraft to approach in low visibility or complex weather conditions, quite common in the region.
Although the system was already installed, a strict certification process was required by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, which was satisfactorily completed.
Francisco Ospina Ramírez, general director of the Civil Aeronautics Authority, emphasized that «with the certification of this technology we hope to improve operations at El Dorado airport, avoiding delays to users without putting their safety at risk, it is important to note that aircraft must have the technology on board and crew certification in order to operate in Category III».
Aircraft with on-board technology and certified crews will now be able to land on the north runway of El Dorado Airport, despite adverse weather conditions without jeopardizing operational safety. The new ILS will reduce delays and/or diversions to alternate airports caused by adverse weather conditions.
«We applaud the reactivation of the ILS system on the north runway to facilitate aircraft landing in low visibility conditions. This is an essential step in making El Dorado Airport work better,» said Frederico Pedreira, Avianca’s Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, Pedreira expressed the need for the southern runway to be activated as well. «Among the vital issues is also to resume ILS on the southern runway, to advance in the capacity study and to improve the infrastructure. We trust in the will of the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aeronautics and we will continue to contribute to make El Dorado a true gateway for tourism and a hub for the country’s development.»
What is an ILS and what is it used for?
An ILS system consists of a set of ground transmitters that emit signals that guide aircraft on their descent path to the runway, being particularly useful for its accuracy and safety, especially in scenarios of reduced visibility.
This system enabled at El Dorado Airport will allow to perform functions in conditions with a visual range on the runway up to 210 meters (700 feet) and a decision height below 30 meters (100 feet).
Civil Aeronautics informed that El Dorado is the only airport in Colombia that has this system, due to the meteorological conditions characteristic of the air terminal and its importance.
El Dorado Airport
During the first half of 2022, 16,374,033 domestic passengers and 4,859,895 international passengers were mobilized through El Dorado airport, totaling 21,233,928 travelers, observing a growth of 29% with respect to the same period of 2019 in which 16,654,791 passengers transited.
According to data obtained through Cirium, the supply of flights in the domestic market is led by Avianca with a market share of 34.3%. LATAM (20.7%) and Easyfly (16.5%) close the podium. The low-cost VIVA has 15.5% of domestic flights, SATENA 7.7%, the new airline ULTRA Air 3.7% and finally Wingo with the remaining 1.8%.
In the international market, Avianca again leads with 32.7% of the market share, followed by Copa Airlines (13.7%) and American Airlines (8.2%). Wingo, with 7.1%, is in fourth place, followed by two other low-cost carriers: Spirit (5.8%) and VIVA (5.0%).
