More passenger capacity, DigiYatra at all entry gates: What’s new at Delhi Airport’s expanded Terminal 1

The Prime Minister attended the inauguration through a live link from Azamgarh. “Today, projects worth about Rs 34,000 crore have been inaugurated and foundation stones laid in many states from Azamgarh. Along with Azamgarh, new terminal buildings have been inaugurated at many airports including Shravasti, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Aligarh, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Lucknow, Pune, Kolhapur, Delhi and Adampur… All these efforts will make air travel more comfortable and accessible for the common man of the country,” said the Prime Minister. The inauguration was attended by Delhi L-G VK Saxena and Minister of State for Civil Aviation General VK Singh.

Completed at a cost of Rs 4,600 crore, it will be ready for use within the next two months, said sources. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) sources, with all its three terminals combined, IGIA can now handle over 100 million passengers per year — making the Delhi Airport one of the few worldwide with this passenger capacity.

Additionally, the expansion extends the area of the airport from 55,740 sqm to a whopping 2,06,950 sqm. Completed at a cost of Rs 4,600 crore, it will be ready for use within the next two months, said sources.

What can passengers expect?

For passengers, the airport has a Facial Recognition System – or DigiYatra – at all its 24 entry gates; 20 automated tray retrieval systems; and individual carrier systems. An individual carrier system divides the luggage carousel into cells where baggage can be placed to reduce damage to the luggage and jams at the belt.

The expanded terminal will have 108 common usage self-service kiosks where passengers can check-in without the help of ground staff. Further, there are 100 check-in counters with 36 self-baggage drop kiosks where one can drop off their baggage without the help of airport staff.

According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) sources, with all its three terminals combined, IGIA can now handle over 100 million passengers per year. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Additionally, the capacity of the baggage handling system at T1 has doubled from 3,240 baggage per hour to around 6,000 per hour. The number of check-in islands has also been increased to five against four earlier.
DIAL has also realigned pick-up and drop-off lanes to ease traffic and expanded parking facilities to accommodate the surge in travellers.

Inside the terminal, travellers will have access to a range of amenities including shopping and dining options, a designated prayer area, a yoga space, quiet zones, lounges, communal seating areas, charging stations for laptops and mobile devices, a self-medication room, facilities for baby care, smart washrooms, and more.

The expanded terminal will have 108 common usage self-service kiosks where passengers can check-in without the help of ground staff. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

The expansion was part of Delhi Airport’s Phase 3A Expansion project which also saw the airport develop a fourth runway along the dual elevated eastern cross taxiway; the refurbishment of its British-era first runway; construction of two flyovers – Aerocity Flyover and the Parallel Access Road flyover – to help ease traffic movement to and from Delhi Airport; and modifications at T3.