Delhi airport to get India’s first batch of travelators

When it opens in mid 2010, Delhi airport’s new integrated Terminal 3 would be one of the world’s largest terminals. Passengers, however, don’t need to fret about taking a long walk to board their flights, reports Siddhartha Roy.

When it opens in mid 2010, Delhi airport’s new integrated Terminal 3 would be one of the world’s largest terminals. Passengers, however, don’t need to fret about taking a long walk to board their flights.

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Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport would be the first in India to have travelators (automated passenger walkways) so that passengers can move on a motorised corridor from Terminal 3 to their aircraft.

Some of the travelators have already been commissioned at the under-construction terminal.

Spread over five million square feet, Terminal 3 would cater to both international and domestic flights.

“The size of the terminal is so immense that just walking through the terminal to get from entry gates to check-in, security and departure gates, would involve quite some exercise,” said a spokesman of the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

Terminal 3 will have 89 travelators, in addition to 63 elevators and 31 escalators. The travelators have been manufactured by ThyssenKrupp of Germany. Eight of the travelators will be inclined, the first of their kind in India.

“The terminal, along with its 4 boarding piers, will measure around 1.25 km from one end to the other. Walking that distance would be a daunting task without travelators with some of the boarding gates being more than 500 meters away,” he said.

While most airports across the world have travelators, none of the Indian airports have such facilities. Apart from IGIA, the Chennai airport too would have travelators shortly.

Games to be Delhi’s theme at India International Trade Fair

Delhi’s pavilion at next month’s India International Trade Fair (IITF) will have the Commonwealth Games and the service sector as its themes.

“While one side of the re-modelled pavilion—an area of 1,422 square meters, will be dedicated to the Games, an erected sculpted hand with a larger-than-life size computer atop it will represent the service sector theme on the other side,” said Chetan Sanghi, Managing Director of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC).

“To highlight Delhi's vibrant mood, an arch like structure made up of several neon bands will be erected at the exit gate, adding colour and brightness," he added.

The IITF will be held at the Pragati Maidan from November 14 to 27.