Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) got the country’s first state-of-the-art ‘SkyCast’ system that will provide real-time weather intelligence to Pilots, reducing flight delays, diversions and cancellations caused by fog and turbulence.The system was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Friday. With this, India became the 19th country in the world to install this integrated atmospheric remote sensing system for aviation weather monitoring.Singh informed that after IGI, the second such facility will come up at Jewar, followed by expansion to other airports.The minister said that SkyCast is one of the biggest landmarks in India’s aviation history as it combines multiple atmospheric observation technologies for fog monitoring, turbulence detection and high-impact weather forecasting.“In the pursuit of ‘Ease of Travel by Air’, this marks a new beginning in the Aviation history of India…a milestone indeed! In other words, a new era of weather-smart aviation!India’s first ‘SkyCast’ System launched at IGI Airport New Delhi.’SkyCast’ will provide… pic.twitter.com/NV8JsEr0RU— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) May 29, 2026The system integrates state-of-the-art atmospheric remote sensing technologies, including Radar Wind Profiler, SODAR, Microwave Radiometer, Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS) and CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer to provide comprehensive real-time atmospheric intelligence. He said the facility will strengthen monitoring and warning capabilities across runways, making take-offs and landings safer.The minister said the core of SkyCast is an advanced boundary layer Radar Wind Profiler, which continuously measures wind speed, wind direction, turbulence, vertical velocity and boundary-layer dynamics up to nearly 3 kilometres above the airport. These parameters are crucial during aircraft descent and landing operations, where precise atmospheric information helps improve safety.The SkyCast facility also includes advanced fog monitoring instruments such as the Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS), which provides detailed information on fog droplets, aerosols and aerosol-fog interactions. Dr. Jitendra Singh said this is particularly important for cities like Delhi, where pollution particles interact with fog and affect visibility conditions.The system also integrates the CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer, which continuously monitors the vertical structure of fog. This helps understand fog formation, visibility reduction and atmospheric conditions affecting aviation operations.Beyond aviation, SkyCast observations will support advanced forecasting models, artificial intelligence-enabled decision support systems, urban weather forecasting, pollution management, transport advisories and disaster preparedness initiatives.SkyCast brings together real-time measurements of fog, aerosols, turbulence, moisture, visibility and atmospheric conditions into a single advanced aviation weather intelligence framework. The system will support pilots, airlines, airport operators and air traffic management agencies with accurate nowcasting and early warning services.The scientific foundation of SkyCast comes from the Winter Fog Experiment (WiFEX), jointly initiated by IITM and IMD under the Ministry of Earth Sciences at IGI Airport in 2015. WiFEX generated critical understanding of fog formation, aerosol-cloud interaction, visibility reduction and urban boundary-layer processes, which contributed to the development of this next-generation operational system.Singh said India is moving towards an era of “fog-free flights” through scientific innovation and advanced weather technologies.Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of taking aviation from “Hawai Chappal to Hawai Jahaz”, the minister said India is now also moving towards democratisation of weather services for the benefit of aviation and citizens.