Wheels of change: T2 was commissioned in 1986 and served as the international terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport till July 2010. File Photo: V.V.Krishnan more-in Beginning October 1, passengers from the city may have to board their flights to metros such as Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai from Terminal 2 (T2) of the Delhi airport as the overcrowded Terminal 1 (T1) will undergo renovation. “It has been finalised that low-cost airlines GoAir, SpiceJet and IndiGo will move their flight operations to Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai from T1 to T2,” a source privy to the development said. GMR-led Delhi International Airport (DIAL) is expected to make an announcement to this effect soon. At present, low-cost airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir operate from T1, whereas Jet Airways, Vistara, AirAsia India and Air India operate from Terminal3 (T3). Commissioned in 1986 Terminal 2 is located closer to Terminal 3 than the domestic Terminal 1D, which is nearly 5 km away. It was commissioned in 1986 and served as the international terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport till July 2010 before T3 came up. T2 has since been lying vacant and caters only to Haj flights. However, the terminal has been revamped to allow airlines to shift their operations partially. The move may end a long stalemate between DIAL and airlines over who would shift their operations as a part of an expansion plan to decongest airport’s T1. DIAL had initially asked SpiceJet and GoAir to shift to T2, which both the airlines refused citing preferential treatment to IndiGo. In January, however, DIAL chief executive officer wrote to the chiefs of all three airlines asking them to shift their flight operations, serving Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, from Terminal-1D to T2 beginning February 15. However, IndiGo opposed the move showing their unwillingness to “split” their domestic operations to T2. This was followed by a series of meetings between airlines and DIAL. Further, Minister of State Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha decided to set up a flight operations committee, headed by the DIAL chief, to work out its modalities. Last month, the Ministry of Civil Aviation wrote a letter to the three airlines asking them to arrive at a consensus by July 15, following which “the airport operator shall be free to decide the suitable course of action” binding on the airlines. Final decision awaited DIAL didn’t reply to an e-mail questionnaire. However, a senior DIAL executive said airlines will be asked to shift a part of their operations to T2 beginning October 1 and a final decision will be taken in a few days. Delhi airport’s T1 handles 24 million passengers annually as against its design capacity of 20 million passengers a year. According to the master plan, T1’s annual capacity will be reduced to 10-15 million passengers by asking airlines to move to T2 while expanding the capacity of T1. T2 will eventually be brought down and flights will be shifted to a new Terminal4, as per a statement issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on April 20. The DIAL’s aim is to increase the T-1’s area to 133,000 square metres from 53,000 square metres, construct 10 aerobridges and increase the boarding gates to 25 from eight at present.

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