Budget carriers’ flight plans hit by turbulence

Budget carriers may be all geared up to begin international operations from Delhi airport’s domestic Terminal 1D but there is one crucial area still to be taken care of — additional manpower and equipment.

Budget carriers may be all geared up to begin international operations from Delhi airport’s domestic Terminal 1D but there is one crucial area still to be taken care of — additional manpower and equipment.

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The terminal would require a new set of Customs and Immigration officials and counters.

These departments, which are managing work at Terminal 3, don’t have additional manpower or equipment to handle international air traffic at T1D.

While private airport operator Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) has begun groundwork to refurbish the domestic departure terminal 1D and arrival terminal 1C for integrated use, two budget carriers are expected to start international operations from T1D, very soon.

“The Customs department is yet to give permission to DIAL to begin international operations from Terminal 1D,” said Additional Commissioner (Customs) Ashutosh Baranwal.

“We are studying the requirements for starting international operations,” he said.

“DIAL is considering various options. We will make a formal announcement at an appropriate time,” said a DIAL spokesman, while admitting that it is yet to receive some permissions required to start international operations from T1D.

“The Customs department is short of more than 200 inspectors at Terminal 3 and there is no manpower to handle a second front at T1D,” said an airport official, who did not want to be named.