New Delhi: According to a top official, the passenger traffic level at the Delhi airport will be at 70 million this fiscal, crossing the pre pandemic traffic level. Additionally the expansion of Terminal 1 is expected to be completed by the of February next year which will result in increased domestic air passenger handling capacity by 23 million.
Airport operator DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar was quoted in several media reports saying that Terminal 2 of the airport will be converted into an international terminal but for a short period. As of now Terminal 2 is for domestic flights only passenger handling capacity of 15 million.
Operated by the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), national capital’s the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is largest airport of our country.
Currently, there are only three terminals at the airport- T1, T2 and T3. However, keeping in view the traffic trends, a decision on T4 will be taken by the operators.
In an interview to PTI, Mr Jaipuriar said, ‘This (financial) year, we are going to end up (with) higher than pre-Covid (passenger traffic level). We had a maximum of 69.3 million passengers during pre-Covid. Last (financial) year, we did 65.3 million and this financial year, we will cross 70 million’.
Among the overall count, more than 52 million are projected to be domestic passengers, while approximately 18 million are expected to be international travelers.
DIAL intends to reassess its airport master plan, originally drafted in 2016, as the current capacity levels align with this existing plan.
Mr Jaipuriar said, after the completion of T1, the terminal’s passenger handling capacity will increase from 17 million to 40 million. He said, ‘Then, we will have an overall domestic capacity of 40 million in T1 and 25 million in T3. (Currently), the domestic capacity at T2 is 15 million’.
He added, ‘we are very comfortable with domestic capacity but we are going to be tight in two years from now (when it comes to) international capacity’.