The Kolhapur airport, Maharashtra witnessed the commissioning of a Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) and Distance Measuring Instrument (DME) on October 31, 2024.
The DVOR and the DME are advanced navigational aides. The airport is among the 21 airports in which the Airports Authority of India had decided to fit advanced navigational aides. The DVOR technology reportedly entails a cost of Rs 100 million and is supplied by a South Korean-based firm.
The new technology would enable minimum space separation between aircraft and facilitate the landing or take off of multiple aircraft on the same airstrip in a short duration. The DVOR provides bearing information to aircraft for air traffic control routes for various procedures. When it is collocated with the DME, the angle and slant distance of aircraft with respect to the ground station are provided. The airport can now carry out night operations.