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After Rs100 cr renovation, T2's fate hangs in the balance

At present, GoAir, IndiGo, and SpiceJet conduct all their domestic operations from Terminal 1D

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Renovated at a cost of more than Rs 100 crore, Terminal 2 (T2) of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has, in February, missed its fourth deadline to become operational. T2 was expected to ease the load on the existing domestic Terminal 1D, which needs to undergo expansion.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) had initially stated that the terminal would be thrown open on January 1, 2017. SpiceJet and GoAir, however, refused to shift their operations to T2. The deadline was then shifted to mid-January and then to February. DIAL then wrote to IndiGo, GoAir, and SpiceJet, asking them to shift operations to the newly renovated T2 by mid-February.

In a letter dated January 19, 2017, DIAL told the airlines: "During the current fiscal, the passenger traffic at terminal 1D is expected to touch 23 million. The existing terminal will not be able to accommodate future demands with the present infrastructure."

The airport operator further said that after careful consideration, it has been decided that the flights of three airlines, to Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, will be shifted to T2, with effect from February 15. Accordingly, all resources for these flights will be allocated at T2, DIAL had stated.

February 15, however, also came and went. The Ministry of Civil Aviation then said it would find a solution to the problem within a week, officials said.

At present, GoAir, IndiGo, and SpiceJet conduct all their domestic operations from Terminal 1D. The combined traffic volume leads to severe congestion during peak hours.

Officials said a portion of T2, next to Terminal 3 (T3) has been renovated, so that low-cost domestic flight operations of these airlines could be shifted there. Once the expansion of 1D is complete, T2 will be demolished and a new terminal, T4, will be built in its place.

Earlier in December last year, in a letter sent to DIAL, SpiceJet had expressed its inability to shift its operations to T2 on a temporary basis. Concerning media reports, the airline had stated, "SpiceJet has always denied shifting its operations to T2. DIAL will be fully responsible if the airline business is affected."

Another airline, GoAir, had also stated it was not in favour of shifting operations to T2.According to sources, the size of Terminal 1D will be increased from 53,000 sqm to 1.33 lakh sqm. At present, the airport can cater to nearly 18 million passengers per year and this number is expected to go up to 30 million passengers annually.

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