920 would-be cancelled flights at St. John's Airport took off thanks to new fog landing gear

An estimated 920 flights that would have been cancelled due to foggy conditions were able to land or take off in the first year since the installation of new landing equipment.

The St. John's International Airport Authority said in a news release Thursday that fewer than 40 flights were affected by low visibility.

The airport also said 2016 was less foggy than an average St. John's year, at a total 291 hours (12 full days) with visibility at a quarter-mile or less.

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According to the airport authority, the lower number of affectedflights is thanks to the Category 3 instrument landingsystem (ILS) equipment installed last year.

Glenn Mahon, director of operations at the airport, said the number "surpassed our expectations."

The initial estimates for the landing system predictedthat 1,000 flights and 100,000 passengers affectedby foggy conditions eachyear would be reduced to 300 and 30,000, respectively.