In a strategic move to meet rising global travel demands, Delhi Airport's Terminal 2 (T2) is slated to undergo a temporary transformation into a concourse for short-haul international flights. Senior officials disclosed that the conversion is expected to take place by the end of 2022, with a closure period of three to six months starting in March or April of the following year.
The decision, currently in the design phase, aims to capitalize on the increasing demand for short-haul international flights. T2 will be repurposed once the revamped Terminal 1 (T1) is inaugurated, expected in March next year. The move is anticipated to enhance passenger capacity by 8-9 million, effectively catering to demand for the next three to four years.
Videh Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), highlighted the growing demand in the international sector, citing large aircraft orders from Indian airlines, Air India and IndiGo. As these carriers receive their deliveries, the demand for international travel is expected to rise, necessitating the strategic conversion of T2.
The decision-making process is set to involve consultations with various government agencies, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs, over the next two months. While T2 is envisioned to handle short-haul international flights (less than three hours of flying time), a final decision is pending.
Delhi currently operates three terminals—T1, T2, and T3—with T3 primarily serving international traffic. Recognizing the potential constraints in T3's current capacity of 20 million passengers per year, DIAL aims to address this by repurposing T2, thereby boosting overall capacity by 8-9 million passengers. This move aligns with the airport's long-term strategy, with the last master plan formulated in 2016, emphasizing the need to expand T1.
The upcoming expansion of T1, set to be operational from March 2024, is expected to elevate its passenger handling capacity from 17 million to 40 million. While the conversion of T2 will introduce dedicated zones for customs and immigration, temporarily reducing the terminal's capacity to around 8 million passengers, the move is seen as a pivotal step to meet the growing demand for air travel in the region.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Delhi airport has displayed resilience, handling 70.5 million passengers in the current year, surpassing pre-COVID numbers. With the successful inauguration of the fourth runway in July and the upcoming operation of all four runways by mid-December, the airport is poised to enhance its air traffic movements to over 2,000 per day, up from the current 1,500.
