The Tata-SIA Airlines brand Vistara has received certification for operating in Category IIIB ultra-low visibility conditions the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The certification is a combination of all of the three “components”, the aircraft, the flight crew, and the airport, being approvd for Cat IIIB. All of Vistara’s A320 aircraft are Cat IIIB compliant and integrate the auto-land system. New Delhi airport is Cat IIIB compliant. Vistara’s flight crew would have had to demonstrate to the DGCA, proficiency of landing the aircraft in these near zero visibility conditions.
This certification is important for Vistara, which has the best on-tome performance (OTP) record amongst domestic Indian airlines. It will allow the airline to operate when Runway Visibility Range (RVR) drops down to as low as 75 meters, a common and dreaded occurrence during the winters of New Delhi, the hub of Vistara.