More immigration, e-visa counters added at Delhi’s IGI airport to save time

Airport officials said the new domestic to international transfer area will be ready for passenger use by the end of this month.

Passengers travelling abroad, via Delhi airport, will no longer have to waste time queuing up or walking 10 minutes to complete security checks.

Passengers arrive in Terminal 3 of the IGI Airport in New Delhi. (HT File Photo)

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has expanded and renovated its ‘domestic to international’ transfer area to cater to more passengers and help them save time. It will be ready for passenger use by the end of this month, airport officials said. Delhi airport is one of the world’s top 20 busiest airports. It is also the seventh busiest in Asia. Last year, the airport handled 63.5 million passengers.

The newly expanded area has extended immigration and e-visa counters to save time. Earlier, domestic passengers travelling abroad had to walk up one level to the departure area of airport to complete security check after immigration. The same can now be completed inside the transfer area, once immigration clearance is complete, said officials from airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

Domestic to International transfer at IGIA

WHAT’S NEW

14 new domestic to international immigration counters

46 new e-visa on arrival counters

HOW THE FLYERS BENEFIT

SAVE TIME – New counters will ensure no queueing up even in peak housr to avoid hassle and save time

NO EXTRA WALKING – Security check will be done at the transfer area soon after immigration check. Earlier, passengers had to go a level up for it

SENIOR CITIZEN AND SPECIALLY-ABLED FRIENDLY Lifts in the transfer area will take passengers directly to the departure level

DIAL officials said it has added 14 new immigration counters at the domestic to international transfer area. Earlier, there were just six such counters Besides, 46 new e-visa on arrival counters have been constructed in place of the 18 counters that were operational earlier, DIAL officials said.

“We now have 64 e-visa on arrival counters. These will contribute in reducing queue time for passengers. The expansion work started in March this year. The domestic to international transfer area will be ready by the end of August. The new facilities will help flyers save time as well as it will require less effort than earlier,” a DIAL spokesperson said.

The facility will also cater to senior citizens and differently abled passengers. Lifts in the transfer area will take passengers directly to the departure level from where they can head to the boarding area, the airport operator said.

Further, the airport is also planning to restructure its e-visa on arrival area, which will provided dedicated routes for passengers applying for e-visa on their arrival in Delhi. This facility would be ready by September 30.

“The e-visa on arrival passengers will be given an exclusive route. They will not be mixed up with the other immigration passengers. Flap gates have also been installed,” the DIAL spokesperson said.