Damascus, Dec. 14 (SANA) Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation said dense fog has caused flight delays, diversions and cancellations at Damascus and Aleppo international airports in recent days, citing reduced visibility and safety constraints.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said in a statement that the fog, particularly during early morning hours, has lowered visibility to levels that make safe landings difficult. It said the absence of advanced automatic landing systems capable of operating in such conditions has imposed operational limits that cannot be bypassed.
The authority said it has taken steps to ensure flight safety and reduce passenger inconvenience, including requiring airlines to submit approved ground-handling and rebooking plans and to ensure humane treatment of passengers affected by diversions or cancellations.
It added that it is coordinating with airlines to minimize the impact on transit passengers, whose travel can become more complicated when aircraft are unable to land.
The authority said it is also working to address the underlying causes by upgrading airport technical equipment to improve operational capacity under various weather conditions, within available resources.
It said the measures are temporary but necessary to protect passenger safety, adding that it fully understands the difficulties faced by travelers.
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