Third international pier at IGI’s T3 to begin May 1st week

Pier C at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport will start international operations in May, boosting capacity by 50% to accommodate 10 million more passengers annually

An additional pier — Pier C — will commence international operations from the first week of May at Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Friday.

HT file photo

Earlier, two piers handled domestic flights, while two others handled international flights. With the latest switch, Pier D will be the sole domestic pier at T3, while Piers A, B and C will handle international flights, increasing the number of international flights and passengers.

DIAL said repurposing Pier C from domestic to international operations was done after careful planning. “This was seamlessly integrated with the existing terminal infrastructure, without the need for new construction,” said a DIAL spokesperson, adding that with the conversion, Delhi airport’s international passenger handling capacity will rise by around 50%, translating to an additional 10 million passengers per annum (MPPA).

This will take Terminal 3’s total international capacity to 30–32 MPPA, positioning the airport to handle growing international traffic in the coming years, DIAL said.

The airport has also introduced upgrades to enhance departure and arrival efficiency and reduce waiting times at key touchpoints. These include 12 new self-baggage drop counters, 20 emigration counters, five automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS) lanes, dual-view X-BIS machines for faster security screening, 16 boarding gates converted for international operations, 40 additional Bureau of Immigration (BOI) counters in arrivals, and three new escalators and four lifts to facilitate passenger movement.

CEO, DIAL, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, said, “This conversion strengthens Delhi Airport’s ability to support long-haul connectivity, airlines’ expansion plans and India’s ambition to be a global aviation hub.”

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