New Delhi, May 30 (APAC Media): Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first “SkyCast” system at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday.
The newly introduced advanced weather intelligence and nowcasting platform is designed to minimise disruptions to flight schedules caused by fog and adverse weather, while also improving safety during take-off and landing and supporting smoother airport operations in challenging conditions, officials said.
“SkyCast will provide real-time weather intelligence to pilots, helping reduce flight delays, diversions, and cancellations caused by fog and turbulence,” said Dr Jitendra Singh.
“With this development, India has become the 19th country in the world to deploy an advanced integrated aviation weather monitoring system,” he added.
SkyCast brings together a range of technologies, including remote sensing tools, atmospheric profiling systems, and nowcasting capabilities, to track rapidly changing weather patterns that may affect aviation.
It also includes specialised instruments for monitoring fog, particularly relevant for Delhi, where pollution particles interact with fog and significantly reduce visibility. The system analyses vertical profiles of wind, humidity, and temperature.
Officials from Delhi International Airport Limited, including CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, said the system strengthens safety and operational efficiency by enabling quicker and better-informed decisions for pilots, air traffic controllers, and ground teams.
The platform is also capable of issuing immediate alerts for aviation hazards including wind shear, fog formation, temperature inversions, low-level jets, icing and turbulence.
In addition, it provides short-range operational nowcasts updated every five minutes. Officials noted that the system meets International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards and can deliver runway-specific wind shear warnings tailored to operational needs.
According to the Union Minister, the upcoming Noida International Airport would be the second airport in the country to implement the same technology.
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