Nineteen new aircraft stands are added at Terminal 1 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI airport). The stands, constructed as part of an expansion project, are operational after receiving approval from the aviation regulator authority, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The new stands can handle Code C planes such as A320 and B737, having wingspan measuring between 24 meters to 36 meters.
Delhi IGI airport already had 55 aircraft stands. With 19 new stands, the total operational stands have now increased to 74 at Terminal 1. According to DIAL, the new set of stands can significantly reduce the traffic congestion of the airport.
The GMR-led Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is currently working on expanding the apron or tarmac area of Terminal 1. The apron is being constructed in three phases.
Currently, the passenger handling capacity of Delhi airport is 69 million per year. The Delhi International Airport Limited has invested Rs 10,000 crore for the expansion work. After the expansion, the airport will handle 110 million passengers.
Contactless e-boarding for passengers at DIAL
Delhi IGI airport is one of the fastest-growing airports in India. The airport recently introduced a contactless e-boarding facility to enable faster departing of passengers. The boarding gates now have e-boarding card scanners, where the passengers can scan their physical/e-boarding cards to verify flight details, and once the system approves the details, the passenger can proceed for security checks. Once the security checks are completed, they can board the flights without showing the documents again.
E-boarding gates are operational at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. The deployment is currently in progress at Terminal 1. The E-boarding facility reduces human intervention and makes the process touchless, a prime requirement of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
From December 20, passengers from ‘at-risk’ countries arriving at the Delhi airport will have to pre-book their RT-PCR test, according to the latest directive of the Civil Aviation Ministry. The norm will be implemented at five other airports, including Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.
