Full-fledged operations at Delhi’s T1 to begin from April 15

A fully renovated Terminal 1 (T1) of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport will become operational from April 15, paving the way for initiation of renovation work at Terminal 2 and relocation of its flight operations to T1, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced on Thursday.

At present, T2 handles approximately 270-280 daily air traffic movements, and caters to over 46,000 passengers daily, primarily from Akasa Air and IndiGo airlines. These flights will be shifted to T1 starting April 15, DIAL said.

“This shift is a key milestone in Delhi Airport’s ongoing modernisation efforts, designed to maintain world-class services. The expansion and modernisation of T1 have been completed as part of the Phase 3A expansion project. The expanded world-class integrated Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport was dedicated to the nation in March last year,” said a DIAL spokesperson.

Currently, T1 is only partially operational — while it was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March last year, a canopy collapse that killed one June 28 led to starting of only partial operations in August which included opening of gates 5 and 6.

Next month, gates 1 to 4 will be opening too. “So now, all gates from 1 to 6 and the entire new T1 building will be fully operational,” an airport official said.

DIAL also said that it has notified airlines of the transition. Currently, only IndiGo and SpiceJet operate out of T1.

The total area at T1 has increased from 55,740 sqm to 206,950 sqms. It combines both arrivals and departures under one roof, as compared to two separate buildings – T1 (D) and T1 (C) earlier.

Other features inside include 108 Common Usage Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks for check-in and self-service, facial recognition systems (DIGIYATRA) at all entry gates, 10 baggage reclaim carousels, each 70 meters long and increased baggage handling capacity from 3,240 to 6,000 bags per hour.

Other passenger friendly amenities include shop and dine areas, prayer rooms, a yoga area, quiet zones, group seating with laptop and mobile charging stations, smart washrooms, self-medication rooms and baby care rooms among others.

T1 is also a green building, with extensive use of natural light, DIAL said

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said the opening will support the growing demand for air travel. “We are committed to maintaining seamless operations throughout this transition and ensuring that every passenger continues to receive the highest level of service and comfort,” he said.

Once T2 becomes operational after renovation, the Delhi airport will be India’s only airport to have the capacity to handle over 100 million passengers annually. While T1 can accommodate 40 million passengers per year, T2 can hold 15 million, and T3 can handle 45 million passengers yearly.