Baggage transfers between IGI terminals to be operational soon

Authorities are working on establishing a system for internal baggage transfers between the three terminals at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport, a key step in making it India's first hub airport. The move will allow passengers to transfer between terminals without going through baggage claims and check-in procedures a second time. The airport is also considering air trains and subways to connect the terminals, as well as faster immigration processes. The goal is to provide immediate connectivity between domestic and international flights without requiring airlines to run those services from a single terminal.

Authorities are in the process of establishing a system for internal baggage transfers between the three terminals at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport — a key step for IGI to become India’s first hub airport, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

New Delhi, India - April 28, 2020: Passengers of special flight for Afghanistan wait at deserted departure terminal of T3, during national lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus, at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. (Photo by Ajay Aggarwal / Hindustan Times) (Ajay Aggarwal /HT PHOTO)

Hub airports are strategically located transfer points in the route network of one or more airlines. Once integrated, people will be able to transfer between any of Delhi’s three terminals without having to go through baggage claims and check-in procedures a second time.

This will allow the airport to provide immediate connectivity between domestic and international flights without having to require the airlines run those services from a single terminal.

The proposal to create IGI as a hub airport was arrived at after consultations between the central government, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL, the airport operator) and global consultancy firm Arthur D Little.

“Trials for internal baggage transfers are in process and will soon be finalised...We are also creating an early baggage store system with the aim to cater to connecting flights that have a gap of a few hours before their departure to the next destination,” an official close to the development said, asking not to be named.

The official added that plans are also underway for air trains and subways to connect the terminals at IGI.

At the same time, the official noted, the transfer of passengers will also require a faster immigration process, and the civil aviation ministry plans to engage finance, tourism, external affairs, and home ministries so that a viable plan can be put in place with allocation of responsibilities.

As part of the proposal to create IGI as a hub airport, authorities are also holding discussions on important routes and slots at the airport.

“Planning of lucrative routes is important to making an airport a successful hub. The airlines and the airport operator need to have a strong planning as slots at Delhi will not be a problem and be available to support the growing traffic,” said a government official, on condition of anonymity.

Industry experts feel that the real challenge for Delhi airport to become a hub is to ensure better connectivity and ensure hassle-free movement.

“One of the most challenging tasks is to have smooth internal connectivity. This includes passenger connectivity from the air side of the airport as well as the internal baggage transfer. International to international (I-to-I), domestic to domestic (D-to-D), and domestic to international (D-to-I) connectivity needs to be designed in a way that transfers consume minimum time. This is set to be a challenge considering the number of authorities involved,” an industry expert said, declining to be named.

Between April 2022 and February 2023, 59% of the total transfer traffic at IGI was domestic to domestic, and only a tiny fraction —2.3% — was of international-to-international (I-to-I) transfers. In contrast, over 50% of total passengers at Singapore’s Changi airport is of I-to-I transfers.