The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is likely to commence the operations of the expanded Terminal 1 (T1) later this month, alongside efforts to enhance international traffic capacity, said a senior executive of DIAL on Friday (June 7). It may be noted that the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in the national capital presently accommodates an annual capacity of 100 to 105 million passengers, with international passenger capacity at approximately 22 million.
“We are hoping that sometime during this month itself, T1 will be operational… we will shift step by step from T2 to T1,” DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said. The expanded T1 was inaugurated in March this year. The airport, managed by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), features three terminals: T1, T2, and T3.
Delhi Airport T1 expansion plans
Speaking at the CAPA India Aviation Summit 2024, Jaipuriar highlighted that the airport witnessed close to 20 million international passengers last year against a capacity of 22 million, leaving only a 10% headroom.
“We have a capacity of 22 million and that is only a headroom of 10 per cent. I need to increase that capacity because we expect that the growth will be at least 8-10 per cent. We have to be ahead of the curve and we are looking at various options,” he said and added that making T2 an international terminal is one of the options.
The operator is looking to increase the international passenger capacity by more than 40 per cent. Currently operating with approximately 1,500 daily slots, DIAL plans to increase this number by 500-700.
DIAL maps out 10-year master plan
DIAL, a consortium led by the GMR Group, is formulating a 10-year master plan in consultation with airlines and stakeholders to accommodate anticipated traffic growth. Jaipuriar explained, “Master plan is typically for long term to see how traffic will be going in the next ten years and based on that see what all facilities need to come up to support that growth.”
The burgeoning aircraft orders by airlines such as Air India and IndiGo, including wide-body planes, underscore efforts to foster international aviation hubs in the country.