DELHI- The scheduled transformation of Terminal 2 (T2) at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi (DEL) into an exclusively international terminal has been deferred until early next year.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has opted to postpone the conversion to circumvent a recurrence of the difficulties encountered during the winter period, notably when crucial infrastructure like the primary CAT III runway (28/10) was shut down for maintenance due to fog-related issues.
T2 International Terminal
The refurbishment of T2 is now anticipated to kick off around April of the upcoming year, subsequent to the conclusion of the winter season.
The Terminal 1 (T1) expansion is expected to become operational by early June 2024, pending approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Terminal 2 (T2) was intended to remain operational for a few months after the expanded T1 opened to handle any initial operational issues. However, to minimize disruption for travelers, the conversion of T2 has been rescheduled for April of the following year.
Under this revised plan, T2 is forecasted to be prepared to handle international flights by the winter of 2025-26.
India’s air traffic has grown significantly, positioning it as the fastest-growing major aviation market globally. While the domestic capacity at IGI Airport has been bolstered with T1’s expansion, constraints are anticipated in international capacity as early as this fiscal year.
Only Terminal 3 (T3) currently manages international flights at Delhi airport.
In response to the imminent capacity challenges, DIAL proposed temporarily converting T2 into an international terminal, with eventual plans for its demolition to pave the way for a new terminal.
Strategies For International Demand at Airport
DIAL CEO V K Jaipuriar previously outlined several strategies to address international demand, including temporarily repurposing T2, converting a domestic pier of T3 into an international one, and eventually replacing T2 with a larger Terminal 4 (T4).
However, given the extended timeline for T4’s completion, airlines are pressing DIAL to consider utilizing T1 for international flights. They point out that the surge in traffic prompted the construction of T1 ahead of the originally scheduled T3 for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Additionally, the imminent opening of the Noida airport (DXN), which is projected to commence operations by year-end with a Terminal 1 capacity of 1.2 crore passengers annually, primarily for domestic flights, may also impact DIAL’s future plans for IGI Airport.
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