All the authorities concerned at the Indira Gandhi International Airport have swung into action to decongest the overcrowded Terminal 3 (T3). This comes shortly after Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia visited the airport to meet all the stakeholders and prepare a plan of action for resolving the issue. The Minister suggested officials to increase the deployment of staff at checkpoints and urged airlines companies and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to post regular live updates for passengers. The authorities have started implementing Scindia’s latest guidelines and suggestions to decongest the security check-in, entry and immigration points.
What are the measures being undertaken?
According to an IE report quoting officials, display boards at each entry point and live updates about entry points and flights on social media have reduced the confusion and chaos at the airport. “The action points that we have decided, together as a collective today, hopefully, we’ll see a resolution of this in the next 10 days,” Scindia said after the Monday meeting.
For battling the issue further at the IGI’s T3, the authorities have taken the following steps:
- Number of entry gates increased from 14 to 16. Additional staff and ushers deployed at all the entry gates
- Multiple display boards installed outside the 16 entry gates showing estimated waiting time
- The authorities have started posting live updates on Delhi Airport Twitter and other social media platforms to help passengers choose the right entry gate
- Four additional X-Ray machines installed in the security check area
- Some flights at peak hours shifted to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2
- Automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS) machines have been increased from 13 to 17, IE reported
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Why such a rush?
This is officially the first travel season after a long hiatus caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased number of passengers is being considered as one of the reasons behind the heavy crowd. Apart from that, the fewer counters, smaller space and limited security staff are also among some of the reasons behind the congestion. Scindia had also said that additional manpower was being deployed at the airport for smoother services.