In order to expand terminal 1D, airport operator wants the airlines to temporarily move their operations to Terminal 2
If you are planning to fly from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, you may have to board your flight from an all new terminal 2 (T2), built recently. Putting to rest the ongoing tussle with the airlines, Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) has written to IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet asking them to shift operations to the newly renovated Terminal 2 by mid February for flights scheduled to Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
The T2, that was to be made operational by January 1, but got delayed, as SpiceJet and GoAir refused to entirely shift their operations to T2, letting IndiGo be the lone operator from the existing 1D. T2 has been developed to decongest 1D which requires expansion.
In a recent letter, dated January 19, 2017, DIAL told airlines, “During the current fiscal, the passenger traffic at the terminal 1D is expected to touch 23 million...The existing terminal will not be able to accommodate future demands with present infrastructure.”
The airport operator further said that after careful consideration it has been decided that flights operating to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata of the three airlines operating from terminal 1D, will be shifted to T2, with effect from Feb 15, 2017. Accordingly all resources for these flights will be allocated at T2, DIAL said. It said that the shifting would help them expand the 1D to be able to cater to a capacity of 35 million passengers.
Currently, Indigo, SpiceJet and GoAir operate their domestic flights from 1D. Officials said that a portion of T2, which is next to Terminal 3 (T3) has been renovated, so that low-cost domestic flight operations of these airlines can be shifted there. Once expansion of the 1D is completed, as planned, T2 will be demolished and a new terminal, named Terminal 4, will be built in its place.
Earlier, in a letter sent to DIAL in December, SpiceJet had expressed its inability to shift its operations to T2 on a temporary basis. Denying various media reports indicating shifting of SpiceJet’s functions, the airline had then said, “SpiceJet has always denied of shifting its operations to T2.” The airline said the media reports are ensuing doubt in the minds of the airline travellers. “DIAL will be fully responsible if the airline business is affected,” said SpiceJet letter
Another airline GoAir too like SpiceJet had earlier said it is not in favour of shifting operations to T2, as asked by DIAL.
EXPANSION
According to sources, the size of Terminal 1D will increase from 53,000 sq m to 1.33 lakh sq m. Once the plan is implemented, it is likely to cater to about 30 million flyers annually compared to the present 18 millions.
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