The Delhi International Airport (DIAL) is preparing a ten-year master plan that will take the annual passenger handling capacity of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to 125 million, up from the current 106 million, as per a PTI report quoting sources.
According to the PTI report, the plan, which covers the period till 2036, is expected to be finalised after consultations with stakeholders.
Delhi airport capacity to rise to 116 million by 2030
Under the first phase of the plan, the capacity is proposed to be raised to 116 million by April 2030. It will be increased further to 125 million by 2032, as per the PTI report.
At present, the airport’s capacity of 106 million passengers is spread across its three terminals. T1 accounts for 42 million, T2 for 14 million and T3 for 50 million. Of the capacity at T3, 19 million is for domestic operations and 31 million for international operations.
Delhi airport to add 10 million capacity with new T3 Pier E
As part of the expansion, DIAL plans to build Pier E at T3, adding a capacity of 10 million passengers by April 2030.
T3 currently has four piers. Pier A and Pier B handle international operations, while Pier C and Pier D were meant for domestic flights. Pier C has since been converted for international use. A pier is a long, narrow structure connected to the main terminal building that allows passengers to board aircraft through aerobridges.
Delhi airport keeps Terminal 4, and APM plans open for future expansion
No final decision has been taken on constructing a fourth terminal or an Automatic Passenger Mover (APM) system, the source told PTI.
On Terminal 4, PTI reported that if passenger traffic warrants additional capacity in the future, converting T2 into T4 could be considered.
For the APM, the master plan will earmark a 7.5-kilometre right of way, though there are no immediate plans to build the system. An earlier proposal had envisaged an elevated and at-grade system, developed on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis, to connect T1 with the other two terminals.
IGIA, the country’s biggest airport, currently operates all its international flights from T3. It is run by DIAL, a consortium led by the GMR Group.
Delhi airport passenger traffic rises 3.7% to 6 million in July
The airport recorded passenger traffic of 6 million in July, a rise of 3.7% over the same month last year. In the current financial year, from April to July, passenger traffic at the airport stood at 26.4 million.