New Delhi: This winter IGI Airport‘s Terminal 3 (T3) will handle 50% more international traffic as its capacity will increase from 2 crore passengers annually (CPA) to 3 crore. T3 has four piers, with two each handling domestic (about 3 CPA) and international traffic. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) last week got the last remaining nod to convert a domestic pier to international and has now started work on it. This is to be completed by Dec, say sources. Once that happens, T3’s international capacity will become 3 CPA and domestic (with one pier) about 1.8 CPA.“Clearances from four agencies were required to begin the work — Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), customs and CISF. Only the BCAS clearance was awaited. DIAL has started the preparatory work,” a source said.Pier C of T3 will continue handling domestic traffic till T2, which has been closed for repairs since April 15, 2025, becomes operational anytime after the middle of next month. Domestic flights are expected to resume from the 1.5-CPA at T2 from the start of winter schedule on Oct 26. Pier C will not see any passengers in its last month of conversion in Nov, and then operate as T3’s third international pier from Dec.DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar had said this Feb: “We are seeing almost 67,000-68,000 international travellers daily, which translates to about 2.4 crore foreign flyers annually. T3’s international capacity is 2 CPA and it is handling 20% more than that. That’s why one domestic pier at T3 is being converted to international. This process will take 4-5 months and take T3’s international capacity to about 3.2 CPA.”That international capacity should hold IGIA in good stead for the next three years or so. DIAL will soon begin constructing a new 1-CPA pier (E) at T3 that is expected to be ready by the end of 2028. That will take T3’s international capacity to 4 CPA.At that point, DIAL will examine the future of the 1986-era T2 depending on the impact of the soon-to-open Noida International Airport (NIA) on IGIA footfalls. Given the spare capacity in the NCR with two commercial airports, NIA could extend the life span of T2. “Depending on the impact Noida has on IGIA footfall, it is likely that T2 will remain operational for another 3-5 years. Subsequently it will be demolished for constructing a bigger T4 in its place,” a source said. Building a big, new terminal takes about 3.5 years.DGCA to inspect runway 28/10 this week:The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will this week inspect IGIA’s main workhorse runway, 28/10, which was shut for repairs earlier this year, possibly on Monday itself. If everything goes well, the runway may become operational next week. A few weeks later, T2 also becomes operational. Once that happens, IGIA will become the first Indian airport to operate with a capacity of over 10 CPA thanks to three operational terminals, four runways and supporting airside infrastructure. The airport can then handle upto 86 flights an hour.
