Lightning strike damages navigation system at Raipur airport, disrupts flight operations

An aircraft navigation system at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur was damaged after being struck by lightning on Wednesday evening, disrupting flight operations, an official said.

As many as five IndiGo flights were diverted to various nearby airports due to the damage to the DVOR (Doppler VHF Omnidirectional Range) system, he said.

"All flight landings have been suspended due to the DVOR system getting hit by a lightning bolt this evening. As a result, five IndiGo flights that were scheduled to land at the Raipur airport were diverted to nearby airports, including Nagpur and Bhubaneswar," the official said.


"Repair works are underway, and flight operations from the airport are likely to resume by tomorrow (Thursday)," he informed.

A ground-based radio navigation system, DVOR helps aircraft determine their position and direction relative to a destination.