Delhi airport expansion to add 20 million flyer capacity by 2029–30

Pier E at Terminal 3 to add 10–12 million passengers; T2 replacement deferred as DIAL focuses on upgrades at Terminals 1 and 3.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is set for a major capacity upgrade that will boost passenger handling by nearly 20% by 2029-30 without dismantling Terminal 2 (T2), Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) chief executive officer Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said on Wednesday.

DIAL to expand T1 and T3 instead of replacing Terminal 2; new Pier E to handle up to 12 million passengers annually. (HT Archive)

DIAL, which manages the airport, plans to raise IGIA’s annual capacity from 105 million to 125 million passengers through targeted expansions at Terminals 1 and 3, rather than building a new terminal in place of Terminal 2 immediately.

Jaipuriar said the increase will come from three key projects — constructing a new Pier E at Terminal 3, which will add 1 crore to 1.2 crore (10–12 million) passengers annually (CPA), easing congestion at Terminal 1, and creating additional aircraft parking stands at T3.

“We are in the process of finalising the master plan. In about a month, we will know whether the proposed 1–1.2 crore passenger capacity Pier E, expected to be ready at T3 in two to three years, will cater to domestic or international operations. We expect to exhaust our current 10.5 crore passenger capacity in the next three to four years,” Jaipuriar said at an aviation conference.

Terminal 3 currently has four piers — two each for domestic and international operations. One domestic pier will be converted for international use this winter, leaving the terminal with three international and one domestic pier.

The upcoming Pier E, which is expected to be ready in about three years, will give DIAL the flexibility to assign it for either domestic or international operations depending on traffic trends.

However, the airport’s long-term master plan still includes replacing the ageing Terminal 2, which was built in 1986 and currently handles about 1.5 crore ( 15 million) passengers annually, with a much larger terminal. But, that plan has been deferred for now. Terminal 2, which refurbished and reopened in October, will remain in use “for the foreseeable future”, Jaipuriar clarified.

He added that DIAL will consider replacing T2 with a new terminal only after passenger numbers cross a critical threshold. “Work on its successor will begin once traffic reaches the trigger point,” he said, explaining that airports typically launch the next phase of expansion once 80% of capacity is utilised.

“Based on projections, IGIA’s 12.5 crore (125 million) capacity will be utilised by 2029-30, meaning the 10-crore (100 million) passenger mark could be reached in three to four years,” he said.

The airport handled just under eight crore passengers in 2024.

As for the immediate future, Jaipuriar said Delhi airport is ready for the upcoming winter rush with the help of a data-driven system.

“With the help of our Airport Predictive Operations Centre (APOC), data is generated and shared with all stakeholders, including airlines, the Central Industrial Security Force, and the Bureau of Immigration. This provides a fairly accurate hourly estimate of passenger footfall, enabling stakeholders to deploy personnel efficiently at key touch points such as terminal entry and check-in,” he said.

“With APOC in place and the upgraded Runway 10 operational, we don’t expect any major flight disruptions this year, unless there’s a spell of prolonged fog,” he added.