Panel formed to aid in the development of Delhi airport as a global transit hub
According to sources, the Indian government has established a committee with the aim of transforming Delhi Airport into an international hub, similar to Dubai and Doha airports. A transit hub is a type of airport that airlines use to direct passenger traffic and manage flight operations, making it a transfer point for travelers before reaching their final destination.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, the civil aviation minister, has tasked the committee with studying major global airports and receiving recommendations from them on how to develop Delhi into an international transit hub. In addition to other factors, the committee will propose ways to expedite the transfer process between domestic and international flights, as well as between international flights. The committee will also recommend developing terminals for India’s two major airlines, Air India and IndiGo, and establishing a slot structure to optimize flight arrivals and departures, allowing for more connections to be made.
On Monday, Delhi International Airport Ltd, owned by the GMR group, released a statement stating that the government has requested the airport and major airlines to analyze the best global practices in scheduling. The objective is to ensure that international and domestic operations complement each other and improve connectivity. This is essential for establishing India’s first international aviation hub.
According to insiders, Air India, owned by the Tata Group, currently operates from Terminal 3. Following the ongoing expansion project, Terminal 1 will only be assigned to IndiGo. Currently, the distribution of IndiGo flights among all three terminals poses a problem for the airline’s international to domestic traffic.
Delhi Airport
Delhi Airport offers a broad range of connectivity to several continents, including America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, facilitated by its partnership with 63 airlines. Passengers can avail direct connectivity to North American cities such as New York, San Francisco, Newark, Chicago, and Washington.
As per the airport’s data, between April 2022 and February 2023, the airport facilitated transfers for over 14.50 million passengers. Of this, around 8.56 million were domestic-to-domestic transfers, 2.88 million were domestic-to-international transfers, 2.73 million were international-to-domestic transfers, and over 3.37 lakh were international-to-international transfers.
According to sources, discussions are underway between the government and Delhi airport officials to establish an automatic people mover that will connect all three terminals of the airport. The aim is to provide fast transportation between the terminals for transfer traffic. However, financing for the project is a key issue, and the government wants to avoid placing the burden on passenger fees.
In an effort to expand its operations, Delhi Airport is currently undergoing a massive expansion project. Also, Plans are underway to increase Terminal 1’s area from 60,000 square meters to 169,000 square meters and create a fully integrated terminal where departures and arrivals will be under one roof. Once completed, the capacity of the terminal will double from 20 million to 40 million passengers.
The project is valued at approximately $850 million and is being executed by L&T. They will also develop a fourth runway measuring approximately 4,400 meters long and 75 meters wide as part of the second phase of the expansion.
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