Although the Pune airport is getting the ILS, there seems a difference of opinion between Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi and the officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). While Kalmadi on Wednesday said the ILS would be in place in two months, that is before the Commonwealth Youth Games, airport officials beg to differ. "The ILS is scheduled to be installed in December," said J P Mathur, officiating director of the Pune Airport. "The AAI will install the ILS which will help guide the aircraft in bad weather conditions," said Mathur. "It will minimise the rate of flights getting cancelled during winter or monsoon," he added.

ILS facilities are a highly accurate and dependable means of navigating to the runway in adverse weather conditions. When using the ILS, the pilot determines aircraft position primarily by reference to instruments. The system is necessary at the Pune airport as there have been several instances when flights were cancelled owing to poor visibility.

"Airlines have been demanding the installation of the ILS for the last six years. It is high time the airport authority addresses these issues," said a source from the airline circuit. "Pune airport has become international and getting the ILS in place is a basic requirement. When the AAI is making so much money from the airport, is it not their responsibility to fulfill the minimum requirements?" he said.

The AAI reportedly does not even convene meetings of the airport advisory committee on a regular basis, which is necessary according to the norms.