I dont understand when they have control towers and such advanced technology why fog can ground planes. Not much is done by eyesight now surely?
In: Technology
Large commercial aircraft are fitted with autolanding systems, but *moving* around on the ground is something that we have not been able to (completely) automate.
It is far too dangerous in cases of heavy fog to move a few dozen to a hundred tonnes of aluminium tube+fuel around on the ground. Accidents can and have happened that resulted in massive loss of life.
In future, when ILS Category IIIc potentially becomes a thing, it will enable aircraft to perform a fully automated landing, rollout and taxi to gate. Perhaps when that comes visibility alone may not stop flights anymore.
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