Aviation ministry orders steps to cut rush at IGI airport

The measures were ordered days after Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with stakeholders after air passengers complained of increasing delays at major airports such as Delhi and Mumbai.

The civil aviation ministry has ordered a slew of measures at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to tackle congestion , including asking airlines to reduce flights and deploy extra personnel.

A crowd of passengers was seen at the International Immigration counter of IGI airport, in New Delhi. (ANI pic service)

The measures were ordered days after Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with stakeholders after air passengers complained of increasing delays at major airports such as Delhi and Mumbai.

‘’We are working with airlines to reduce peak hour departures,’’ said a ministry official asking not to be named.

”It’s all hands on deck,” the official added.

According to the ministry, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Arun Kumar is overseeing the arrangements and senior officials have visited the airport to inspect the choke points.

“Additional four traffic marshals have been posted at the departure forecourt to avoid vehicular congestion. awareness posters at the entry gate for passengers to be prepared with their boarding cards have been erected and eight dedicated resources have been deployed at the entry gate to help passengers,” the official said giving details of the measures that have been put in place at the Delhi airport.

“Awareness posters/announcements being undertaken to inform passengers about the do’s and don‘ts. Discussions are ongoing with airlines to reduce flights during the peak hours,” the official added

The official further said that additional X-ray machines have been installed at the T3 Terminal while additional manpower was deployed in the Automatic Tray Return Systems (ATRS) area to help passengers with tray preparation and congestion management.