SkyCast provides advance alerts to aircrew and pilots within a short time window of around three hours. This enables them to decide the safest time for landing. They can avoid unnecessary diversions, cancellations, and delays.
The system detects and gives real-time alerts for critical aviation hazards. These include wind shear, fog, inversions, low-level jets, icing, and turbulence. It also provides short-term operational nowcasts updated every five minutes.
DIAL chief executive officer Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, "Weather can change very quickly, and having access to accurate, real-time information makes a difference on the ground and in the air. This system will help our teams, pilots and air traffic controllers make quicker, more informed decisions".
Benefits Beyond Aviation
SkyCast's data will not remain confined to runway operations. The atmospheric profiles generated—temperature, humidity, and wind—will feed into advanced AI-enabled forecasting models. These will support urban weather prediction, pollution management, transport advisories, and disaster preparedness initiatives.
With the commissioning of SkyCast, Delhi Airport becomes the only airport in India to deploy a comprehensive, real-time atmospheric monitoring system specifically designed to support aviation and airport operations.
Future Expansion
After IGI Airport Delhi, the second SkyCast facility will come up at Jewar Airport (Noida International Airport). This will be followed by expansion to other airports across India.
India's Global Standing
With this launch, India has joined an elite club of nations. Only 18 such advanced systems existed worldwide. India is now the 19th country to install this integrated atmospheric remote sensing system for aviation weather monitoring.
Conclusion
India is moving towards an era of "fog-free flights" through scientific innovation and advanced weather technologies. SkyCast is one of the biggest landmarks in India's aviation history. It combines multiple atmospheric observation technologies for fog monitoring, turbulence detection, and high-impact weather forecasting into a single framework.
For passengers, this means fewer weather-related disruptions. For pilots, it means safer take-offs and landings. For India, it means a giant leap towards weather-smart aviation.
Exam-Focused Points
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Date of inauguration: 29 May 2026
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Location: Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
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Inaugurated by: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh
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Developed under: Mission Mausam (Ministry of Earth Sciences)
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India's global rank: 19th country to deploy this system
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Core instrument: Boundary-layer Radar Wind Profiler (measures up to 3 km)
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Other instruments: GFAS (Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer), CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer, SODAR, Microwave Radiometer
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Scientific foundation: Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX), launched in 2015 at IGI Airport
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WiFEX accuracy: More than 85% for very dense fog (visibility below 200 m)
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Warning time: Advance alerts up to 3 hours