Delhi airport to operate at full capacity before festive season
What's the story
The Indira Gandhi International Airport will operate at its full capacity of handling around 109 million passengers annually by the end of 2025, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has announced.
Terminal 1 (T1) will start operations in April after getting regulatory approvals. Subsequently, Terminal 2 (T2) will undergo a complete refurbishment of four to five months.
Infrastructure overhaul
Terminal 2 refurbishment and runway upgrade plans
During the refurbishment period, T1 and Terminal 3 (T3) will share the passenger load, ensuring no inconvenience to travelers.
One of the runways will also be closed for an Instrument Landing System (ILS) upgrade, which is expected to be completed before winter.
The runway upgrade will make it CAT III B compliant, allowing flights to operate effectively during low visibility conditions typical in Delhi winters.
Upgrade details
Modernization of Terminal 2 and Pier C conversion
The refurbishment of T2, built 40 years ago by the Airports Authority of India, will modernize key areas and infrastructure.
The upgraded terminal will have new passenger boarding bridges with autonomous docking technology, modern ceilings, skylight designs, advanced flooring, and improved road connectivity.
DIAL also plans to convert part of T3's Pier C from domestic to international operations. This will increase international capacity to 32 million passengers.
Tariff hike
Proposed tariff revision at Delhi airport
About airport tariffs, DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar proposed an increase from ₹145 to ₹370 per passenger.
He said the base figure of ₹145 hasn't changed since 2006 and justified the increase as necessary due to inflation and investment needs.
This investment will support additional funding made by DIAL, like the recently completed Phase 3A which involved ₹12,500 crore expenditure for constructing Terminal 1, etc.