18/11/2025
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18/11/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, Nov 18: The recent diversion of flights arriving at Kuwait International Airport to neighboring countries due to dense fog triggered questions regarding the specifications of the new runway, which was inaugurated only two days before the incident. The design contract states that the runway is capable of accommodating aircraft when visibility is as low as 50 meters, while during the incident, visibility fell below 100 meters, according to a statement issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The contract of DGCA with a Canadian company—valued at KD3 million and signed in March 2021—for the design, development, training and maintenance of the third runway, included an agreement for supplying CAT IIIB navigation systems to Kuwait International Airport. This category is also used at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports to lessen the impact of weather conditions on air traffic and the financial losses that may affect the State, companies and passengers.
It is important to note that this category is among the highest precision levels for airport approach and landing systems. It enables aircraft to land in extremely low visibility, relying almost entirely on instrument landing technology. Runway visibility ranges from 50 meters to under 200 meters, and in certain cases, landings are allowed even when visibility drops to between 40 and 50 meters, provided the lighting systems are of high quality.