The planned transformation of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s Terminal 2 (T2) into a fully international terminal has been rescheduled until early in the new year, according to a report published by The Times of India on Monday. The purpose of Delhi International Airport Ltd.’s (DIAL) action is to prevent a repeat of the winter of the previous year, when significant infrastructure—particularly the main CAT III runway (28/10)—was repaired for a significant portion of the foggy season, resulting in protracted flight delays and passenger inconvenience. Let’s shed some light on this topic in our today’s blog “Delhi Airport’s Terminal 2 International Conversion Pushed to Early Next Year”. Additionally, for those seeking cheap flight tickets from Canada to India, make sure to visit Flyopedia.
Revised Timeline for Conversion
The plan to make Terminal 2 (T2) at Delhi Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport fully international has been delayed.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) chose to postpone the conversion to prevent the operational problems that surfaced during the previous winter. These issues usually arise when crucial infrastructure—like the primary CAT III runway (28/10)—was shut down in the fog for maintenance. The T2 conversion is now scheduled for April of the next year, which coincides with the end of the winter season.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is keen to prevent a recurrence of the issues that prompted the closure of its main CAT III runway (28/10) for maintenance throughout a large amount of this winter’s foggy season.
According to the report, the T2 conversion project is anticipated to start in April of the next year, once the winter season has ended. According to this plan, T2 should be ready for foreign flights by the winter of 2025–2026.
“After receiving approval from the CISF and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, the recently enhanced T1 is anticipated to go into service in early June 2024. After that, T2 was supposed to be kept operational for a few months to account for any teething issues at the new site.
Closing T2 for conversion by that could prevent work from finishing this winter. We might begin T2 conversion in April of next year to avoid any issues for flyers, according to sources.
Future Prospects: New Terminal Construction Plans
Currently, the three terminals at the airport handle close to 70 million people annually. Terminal 1 is expected to quadruple its capacity from 20 million to 40 million passengers yearly under phase 3A of the development project.
However, it is anticipated that foreign capacity will become scarce as early as this fiscal year. At the Delhi airport, international flights are only handled by T3.
T2 was originally designed to be an international terminal when it was built in 1986, and DIAL had intended to temporarily convert it back to that function last year to handle the impending shortage. T2 would then be demolished to make way for a brand-new terminal.
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Traffic Surge and Terminal Expansion
Airlines have urged DIAL to consider allowing Terminal 1 to accommodate international flights as well, as T4 is expected to be finished by 2030 or 2032.
They highlight the dramatic increase in traffic that has happened since the GMR Group took over the airport’s management in May 2006, necessitating the construction of a new T1 before the originally planned T3 to accommodate the rush of travelers.
The expanded Terminal 1 is expected to open for operation by early June 2024, given approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF).
The initial plan was to keep T2 open for a few months after Terminal 1 opened to iron out any issues. However, according to the TOI article, which cited sources, it was advised to begin the T2 conversion in April to guarantee that there would be as little disruption as possible for travelers owing to the potential delay in completing the conversion process.
CEO’s Vision for Meeting International Demand
It is anticipated that the impending opening of Terminal 1 will greatly increase IGI’s capacity to handle nearly 100 million passengers yearly.
While IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa are expected to relocate their operations to Terminal 1, low-cost airlines (LCCs) already headquartered their domestic operations next to Terminal 2.
DIAL had intended to temporarily convert T2 into an international terminal last year to address the capacity difficulties, as originally envisioned in 1986. Then, it was planned for T2 to be destroyed to make room for a new terminal.
DIAL CEO V K Jaipuriar had previously outlined options for meeting international demand, including reconverting T2 as a short-term solution, converting one of the two domestic piers at T3 into an international section as a medium-term option, and eventually demolishing T2 to build a larger T4 with increased capacity.
The new Noida airport, with a 1.2 CPA T1, will be ready and running by year’s end. Here, the majority of the schedule will consist of domestic flights. It’s unknown if DIAL would have different plans for IGI airport if Noida airport begins operations.
Therefore, this is all you need to know about the latest updates on Delhi Airport’s Terminal 2 international conversion pushed to early next year. Additionally, if you are looking to get cheap flights from Delhi to Edmonton, be sure to explore Flyopedia.
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