GMR Hyderabad International Airport has commissioned CAT III Airfield Ground Lighting capability on Runway 09R, allowing aircraft operations in significantly lower visibility conditions and strengthening the airport’s ability to manage disruptions during adverse weather.
The upgrade is intended to reduce flight delays and diversions caused by low visibility, particularly during the winter fog season, while improving schedule reliability for passengers and airlines operating through Hyderabad International Airport.
The transition upgrades Runway 09R from CAT II to CAT III capability. According to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), the enhanced system includes CAT III-compliant runway lighting, advanced monitoring systems and Stand Manoeuvring Guidance Lights, or SMGL, which provide additional guidance to pilots while aircraft move around the airfield.
The airport has also implemented an indigenously developed Programmable Logic Controller-Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, or PLC-SCADA, based solution. The system allows the airport to monitor and control lighting systems centrally from its Airport Predictive Operation Centre.
Kadhir Kadhiravan, chief executive officer of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, said the upgrade would mean fewer delays, smoother journeys and a more dependable travel experience for passengers. The airport said the additional capability would help maintain efficient flight operations when visibility falls and minimise disruptions linked to weather conditions.
Airfield ground lighting is a critical part of airport operations during low-visibility conditions because it helps pilots identify and follow runway and taxiway paths. The new lighting and monitoring systems are therefore linked not only to flight continuity but also to the safe movement of aircraft on the ground and during runway operations.
For Hyderabad, the upgrade adds operational resilience at an airport that serves as a major air transport gateway for the city and the wider region. Weather-related delays and diversions can affect passenger schedules, aircraft rotations and connecting services. The airport’s statement did not provide projected reductions in delays or diversions, nor did it specify the number of flights expected to benefit from the upgraded runway.
The commissioning also places greater emphasis on centralised operational control. By linking the lighting systems to the Airport Predictive Operation Centre, GHIAL said airport teams can monitor and control the infrastructure from a single location. The airport did not disclose the cost of the upgrade or the date on which the project work began.
GHIAL said the CAT III capability on Runway 09R is now commissioned and will support airport operations during periods of significantly reduced visibility, with winter fog identified as a key operating condition.
