Expanded T1 in Delhi set to open from mid-June: Officials

Delhi's domestic flights at Terminal 2 will move to expanded Terminal 1 by mid-June, increasing capacity to 40 million passengers annually.

All domestic flights operating from Terminal 2 are set to switch over to the newly expanded Terminal 1 from mid-June, at least three officials aware of the matter have said.

The expanded Terminal-1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport was inaugurated by the Prime Minister via video conferencing. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

At present, market leader IndiGo, Akasa Air and Zoom Air are operating services out of T2 while the Capital’s longest-serving domestic airport, T1, went into expansion mode in 2019, and the mammoth overhaul has increased its capaity from 17 million passengers per annum (PPA) to 40 million PPA.

“T1 is aimed to be fully operational by June 15. Both Akasa and IndiGo have been alerted about the change in the terminal and have been asked to prepare to commence their operations,” one of these officials said, asking not to be named.

According to this person, letters have been sent to all stakeholders to prepare for the shift.

“It will soon be inspected by the BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) after which the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) will conduct an anti- sabotage drill. It is after this that the airlines will be able to shift and commence regular operations,” this person added.

The expanded T1 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 11.

The airport operator and representatives of IndiGo and Akasa did not respond to requests for a comment.

At present, only a portion of T1 is operational since 2019 while construction work went on much of the rest of the terminal.

“The total area of the previous T1 was 55,740sqm, which has now been increased to 206,950sqm,” a statement by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) in March read.

With the expanded T1, the Delhi airport will figure among the top five airports in the world in terms of annual passenger handling capacity at 70 million PPA.

The airport handles around 1,500 flights daily.

Airport and aviation authorities are yet to take a call on the immediate future of T2. Over a long term, the airport operators plans to convert T2 into a larger new terminal called T4 by 2028-29, but officials had last year said there was a possibility it could be used for some short-haul international flights.

On Thursday, officials said it is unlikely that it may be used for international flights just yet – but decisions will likely be based on further analysis of air travel demands.

Speaking about the new T1, DIAL in March had said that passenger facilities were at the forefront of their revamp, which will include facial recognition systems or DigiYatra at all entry gates. There will be a total of 24 entry points to the terminal in total.

“There will be 20 Automated Tray Retrieval System (ATRS), Individual Carrier System (ICS), 108 Common Usage Self Service (CUSS), 100 check-in counters including 36 Self Baggage Drop (SBD) kiosks, among others. The seamless journey is complemented by a myriad of offerings, including expanded baggage reclaim carousels, multiple entry gates, and enhanced shop and dine facilities,” a DIAL spokesperson had said, adding that to board the aircraft, T1 also has a smart-apron, with 22 contact stands.