Power pangs hit T-3

The much-awaited domestic operations at the Delhi Airport’s Terminal-3 seem to be heading for another delay.

The much-awaited domestic operations at the Delhi Airport’s Terminal-3 seem to be heading for another delay.

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The new terminal was opened on July 14 for international flights and domestic airlines were expected to shift operations on October 30, after being delayed twice. Domestic passengers, however, may again miss their date with the swank T-3 due to power crisis.

Power cuts and tripping are nothing new to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, but with a new 220-kv power sub-station opened in September, the problem was expected to be taken care of.

On Wednesday, the airport faced an eight-hour-long power cut that affected normal operations. There were similar problems, albeit of shorter duration, on Tuesday as well.

With domestic operations shifting to T-3, it is likely to face extra load as number of domestic flights and passengers is more than the international ones,” said a senior airport official who didn’t wish to be named.

“Unless we get uninterrupted power supply, it is better to postpone the opening than to face embarrassment.”

The private airport developer Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) is going to meet Delhi Transco Ltd., a government-owned transmission company, on October 25 to sort out the issue.

“Though domestic operations are scheduled to begin from October 30, the final date will only be decided after the meeting,” the official said.

Delhi chief secretary and Delhi Transco chairman and managing director Rakesh Mehta said the sub-station will take care of uninterrupted power supply. “We have assured uninterrupted power supply to the airport,” he said, adding that Wednesday’s power cut was due a problem in the transmission line.