Delhi Airport to operate at full capacity before festive season after refurbishment of Terminal-2

New Delhi [India], February 26 (ANI): The Delhi Airport will operate at its full capacity of handling around 109 million passengers annually by the end of this year.

The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Wednesday said that by April Terminal-1 will be in operation and Terminal-2 will be under refurbishment for 4-5 months.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, “We are expecting T1 to start in April after regulatory approvals and only after that, it starts is when T2 will put for refurbishment. Because T2 is an old terminal we want to do a thorough refurbishment of that, so that will take about four to five months to be ready with T2 before the festive season”.

T1 has an annual passenger capacity of 40 million, T2 has 15 million, and the remaining is at T3.

He added that there would be no inconvenience to the passengers as T1 and T3 would share the passenger load.

During the period when T2 will be under refurbishment, one of the runways will also be non-operational for ILS (Instrument Landing System) upgrade work. It has to be completed before the winter.

Speaking on the proposed tariff revision at Delhi airport, CEO Videh Kumar said that currently, the per pax tariff is Rs 145 and the proposal that we have put in is about Rs 370 so the impact per passenger is about Rs 225.

“If I look at the base figure of Rs 145, it is the same as there was in the year 2006, so considering that we are already about 18-19 years from 2006. I think this is a justified increase and it has been validated by all the different agencies,” he said.

He further stated that this investment is intended to support the additional funding made by DIAL. For instance, the recently completed Phase 3A involved an expenditure of Rs 12,500 crore, which was allocated for the construction of Terminal 1, a new taxiway, an apron–including parking stands–and other infrastructure. He added that the airport has been investing in these developments to facilitate the growth of Indian aviation.

Terminal 2 of Delhi Airport was originally constructed 40 years ago by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

It will undergo a comprehensive refurbishment, spearheaded by GMR Airports Limited-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

The refurbishment will modernise key areas of the terminal and surrounding infrastructure, ensuring that T2 remains a top-tier facility in the global aviation landscape, capable of accommodating the evolving needs of passengers and supporting the airport’s continued growth.

The refurbishment of Terminal 2 is part of DIAL’s commitment to creating a world-class hub for travellers across India and Southeast Asia. The terminal and its associated apron have been serving passengers for over four decades, and with the rapid increase in air traffic, major upgrades are essential.

The refurbished T2 will have new passenger boarding bridges. The Aerobridges will have autonomous docking technology, the first of its kind in India.

Modern ceilings and skylight designs for a more appealing environment. Advanced flooring, and better road connectivity for passengers’ convenience.

The enhancements will help accommodate the anticipated surge in domestic passenger numbers, with DIAL projecting that it will reach its maximum passenger capacity by FY 2025-26.