SpiceJet, GoAir domestic flights may take off from Terminal 2 starting mid-Jan

Come January and domestic travellers will have to head to recently renovated Terminal 2 to board the flight. In order to expand already decongested Terminal 1, airport operator is shifting two airlines to Terminal 1 temporarily.

: Come January, domestic travellers from Delhi will have to use Terminal 2 to board flights. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is planning to expand Terminal 1 for which and at least two airlines — SpiceJet and GoAir — are likely to be temporarily shifted to T2.

DIAL started renovating Terminal 2 in June this year and the work is now at a final stage. (HT Photo)

International flights operated from T2 before Terminal 3 was commissioned in 2010. Since then, T2 only handles Haj operations once a year. DIAL started renovating it in June this year and the work is now at a final stage.

“A portion of T2, which is next to T3, has been renovated so that low-cost domestic flight operations of the two airlines can be shifted there. Finishing work is on and roads leading to T2 are also under repair. We are hoping to complete the work by the end of this month. The airlines will shift by mid-January,” said an airport official.

Currently, Indigo, SpiceJet and GoAir operate their domestic flights from T1. While Indigo will continue to operate from T1, other two will be shifted for two years, till the expansion of T1 is completed.

An airport official said proper signages will be placed in and around the airport and airlines will be asked to inform the passengers about the change in the terminal. T2 is almost five kilometres away from T1.

After two years, the airlines will be shifted back to T1 so that the expansion of T2 can be undertaken. Delhi airport will then have three separate terminals for international airlines, low-cost domestic carriers and full-service domestic airlines. The ministry of civil aviation (MOCA) has approved the plan for airport expansion.

“We will start with the expansion of Terminal 1. In the next three years, the capacity of T1 will increase from 15 million per annum to 30 million,” said an airport official.

T1 is built on 53,000 sq m area. After the expansion, it will be spread over 133,000 square metres. Ten aerobridges will be constructed and the number of boarding gates will be increased from eight to 25.