Delhi Airport Aims to Boost International Passenger Capacity by Up to 50%: CEO

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar announced on Friday that the airport is working to significantly increase its international passenger handling capacity by 40% to 50%, responding to growing demand from international airlines.

Currently, Delhi Airport has a maximum capacity of handling approximately 105 million passengers, with the international passenger capacity standing at around 22 million. “We are running out of international capacity,” Jaipuriar stated at the CAPA India Aviation Summit in Delhi. “We are exploring various ways to enhance this capacity, aiming for a 40% to 50% increase within six months to a year. Consultants are being engaged to find optimal solutions that ensure operational efficiency and passenger convenience, alongside matching airside infrastructure with terminal facilities.”

Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), comprising Terminals T1, T2, and T3, is set to see the expanded Terminal 1 become operational by the end of the month. “We hope that T1 will be operational sometime this month,” Jaipuriar said, noting that all low-cost airlines, including IndiGo, will operate from the expanded terminal.

Discussing international flights from T3, Jaipuriar mentioned, “Around 20% of our passengers are transit or connecting, whether domestic to international or domestic to domestic, and some segments are growing rapidly.” Last year, the airport saw close to 20 million international passengers.

DIAL, led by the GMR Group, is working on a 10-year master plan, currently under discussion with airlines. “Given the changes in dynamics over the past five to six years, we have advanced our master plan initially set for 2026. We are incorporating inputs from all airlines, considering options such as dedicated terminals for airlines or specific terminals for international and domestic connections,” Jaipuriar explained.

By July, the airport is expected to have four fully operational runways, with one side of the fourth runway being CAT III compliant, allowing flights to land in poor visibility conditions with a runway visual range of 50m to 200m.

To enhance capacity on the airside, Jaipuriar revealed that the airport currently operates with 1,500 slots per day but has the potential to increase by 500-600 slots. “We currently handle 84 aircraft movements per hour, and we see the potential for over 110 movements with our runway optimization efforts,” he said.

Furthermore, the airport is implementing the Airport Operations Centre (APOC) system, which uses data to estimate passenger footfall at specific times, helping decongest the airport and prepare for peak hours.

To improve internal connectivity, the airport plans to introduce Automated People Mover (APM) systems between Terminals 1 and 3, aligning with the government’s goal to make Delhi Airport an aviation hub. “We have conducted a commercial evaluation of the APM and expect some funding will be required. We may approach the government for one-time funding support,” Jaipuriar noted. The infrastructure is owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), with DIAL serving as the operator until 2066.

Sources By Agencies

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