IGIA expansion to see 100 mn capacity

The planned next phase of expansion at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi has been launched, to enable IGIA, in the next three years, to handle around 100 million passengers yearly. The INR 9,800 crore plan, unveiled by operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), envisages enhanced terminal capacity and an air-side capacity to handle around 140 million passengers.

The project under Phase 3A is expected to be ready by June 2022. By August 2020, these facilities would start getting commissioned, said GMR Group’s Deputy MD, I. Prabhakara Rao.

Rao said the new air-side infrastructure, such as the fourth runway and dual elevated eastern cross taxiways, will be constructed in this phase.

Another key feature of the plan is the new integrated Terminal 1 with 40 million passenger handling capacity, with several passenger-friendly facilities, such as facial recognition system and aero bridges. The plan also includes a new pier building, to be built as an extension of the merged terminals, with 22 aero-bridges and 15 bus gates.

The international transfer area of Terminal 3 is set to be increased significantly. “Also, a seventh check-in island is being added at T3 with associated ‘baggage handling systems’ and two ‘arrival carousels’,” DIAL said in a statement.

“The technology part of the baggage handling system at T3 is being upgraded. With all these, the passenger throughput would go up from 34 million to 45 million.”