920 would-be cancelled flights at St. John's Airport took off thanks to new fog landing gear
Airport Authority says fewer than 40 flights in 2016 were affected due to fog
An estimated 920 flights that would have been cancelled due to foggy conditions were able to land or take off in the first year since the installation of new landing equipment.
The St. John's International Airport Authority said in a news release Thursday that fewer than 40 flights were affected by low visibility.
The airport also said 2016 was less foggy than an average St. John's year, at a total 291 hours (12 full days) with visibility at a quarter-mile or less.
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According to the airport authority, the lower number of affected flights is thanks to the Category 3 instrument landing system (ILS) equipment installed last year.
Glenn Mahon, director of operations at the airport, said the number "surpassed our expectations."
The initial estimates for the landing system predicted that 1,000 flights and 100,000 passengers affected by foggy conditions each year would be reduced to 300 and 30,000, respectively.