Newly-built arrivals terminal at Delhi’s T1 ready to be operational soon: DIAL

The Delhi airport, as part of Phase 3A of the airport expansion master plan is building a new terminal 1 which will integrate both arrival and departures under one single roof, have a new node building which houses retail and F&B outlets and a pier building which will comprise of 22 contact stands for airlines.

Domestic passengers landing at the Delhi airport may soon exit from the new state-of-the-art arrivals terminal at Terminal 1 (T1), which is now ready and likely to become operational soon, the airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Monday.

The new arrivals terminal spans 8,000 square metres and is equipped with four new baggage reclaim carousels, officials said on Monday. (HT PHOTO.)

Until now, domestic departures were taking place from the T1(D) building, while arrivals were happening at T1(C). The latter will soon be demolished, once passengers shift to the new arrivals terminal, officials said.

The Delhi airport, as part of Phase 3A of the airport expansion master plan is building a new terminal 1 which will integrate both arrival and departures under one single roof, have a new node building which houses retail and F&B outlets and a pier building which will comprise of 22 contact stands for airlines.

The new arrivals terminal spans 8,000 square metres and is equipped with four new baggage reclaim carousels, officials say. It has also been built as a green building as part of the global Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards, with a daylight concept incorporated in the overall structure, which will use glass-panels to allow ample sunlight during the day and reduce electricity consumption.

“In addition, lighting fixtures and equipment like HVAC and baggage belts are energy efficient and thus consume less power. Apart from these, DIAL has also used eco-friendly and human-friendly products in the terminal,” said a DIAL spokesperson.

In terms of location, the new arrivals terminal of T1 is currently part of a separate building which stands closer to T1(D) than T1(C). The new T1 will be able to handle 40 million passengers per annum as compared to 20 million passengers per annum currently being managed by the existing T1.

At present, only IndiGo and SpiceJet flights are operating from the old T1. Flight operations resumed there after nearly 18 months from October 1, 2021 onwards.

Outside the terminal, pick-up lanes have also been re-aligned and expanded, with three additional lanes added to take the total number of lanes for cars increasing from 8 to 11. “This will ease traffic congestion and significantly improve passenger experience and convenience during pickup,” the DIAL spokesperson added, stating the other developments include a contemporary meet and greet zone, a plush forecourt area which includes landscaping, kiosks for food and beverage (F&B) and retail and an expanded parking area for cars.

An official, on condition of anonymity said the new terminal could become functional as early as next week. “The terminal is ready and last-minute checks will be carried out,” the official said. After completion of physical work, DIAL has already carried out operational readiness and testing (ORAT).

“DIAL has successfully completed expansion work of the arrival terminal at T1 and is ready for operations. We, at DIAL, are committed to providing a world-class experience to the passengers. This new arrival terminal is another step towards enhancing the infrastructure and passenger experience at Delhi Airport. The current domestic arrival operations will now move to the newly constructed Arrival Terminal, which would enable DIAL to take up the demolition of the existing arrival terminal, T1C. The building was the need of the hour and it will help in enhancing the airport’s operational efficiency,” said I Prabhakara Rao, Deputy Managing Director, GMR Group.

As part of the overall development plan under Phase 3A, DIAL is also constructing the IGI airport’s fourth runway, dual elevated Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) to connect the northern and southern airfields, undertaking landside developments for circulation and connectivity improvements and modification works at T3.