Delhi airport aims to be global hub with flight coordination plan, ‘slot banks’

Only around 3% of the air traffic at IGI is international-to-international (I-to-I), and DIAL aims to grow that share to 10% in the next five years

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has introduced “slot banks” — a system that improves flight timing coordination and ensures faster connections, officials with the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates IGI, said on Sunday.

As part of the slot banks system, a group of flights arrive and depart at specific times — thus making connecting flights much easier and quicker. (AFP)

As part of the slot banks system, a group of flights arrive and depart at specific times — thus making connecting flights much easier and quicker — and will be a key step in establishing IGI as a passenger hub airport, officials said. Such systems are already operational in several top airports such as Changi in Singapore and Dubai.

“To support the growth of the hub, Delhi airport is expanding its capacity, including increasing arrival and departure banks (also called slot banks) to optimise connections,” DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said in a recent media interaction.

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu had earlier in January stated that the Union government plans to establish Delhi as a major international aviation hub within two years.

Only around 3% of the air traffic at IGI is international-to-international (I-to-I), and DIAL aims to grow that share to 10% in the next five years, Jaipuriar said. “The airport has already seen a 300% increase in I-to-I passenger transfers, with noticeable growth in traffic flows from Southeast Asia to Europe,” he said.

Currently, IGI is India’s best-connected airport, with 150 destinations — 81 domestic and 69 international. The airport also caters to more weekly flights to Europe (204) compared to Singapore (200), and to North America (75, compared to 60 from the city-state).

“India has long been in a prime position to become a global aviation leader, but we have failed to capitalise on this advantage,” said a former airline official, requesting anonymity. “With the right infrastructure and planning, India could easily accommodate more than one major hub, along with many point-to-point services, boosting both travel and the economy.”

Jaipuriar said the idea of promoting Delhi airport as a hub aligns with the government’s vision. “However, we still need to improve the transit experience. While the airport infrastructure is improving, challenges remain, such as the connection between terminals T1 and T3,” he said, adding that plans include increasing bus frequencies and adding bus waiting lounges at T1 and T3.

“To optimise airport operations, we are introducing higher charges for long-term parking to ensure stands are available for more flights, enhancing operational efficiency,” he added.

Jaipuriar also stated that IGI has proposed a 29% increase in domestic landing charges and a 28% hike in international landing charges, but with incentives for new long-haul routes. “For destinations over 5,000 km that have not been previously served, landing charges will be waived off to encourage new connections,” he said.