The revamped Terminal 2 of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Delhi is set to open on Sunday. But the new terminal is not likely to ease the runway woes and the terminal capacity crunch at India's busiest airport.
BCCL/ File
This is because only one airline, GoAir has agreed to operate from T2 so far.?
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) had asked SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir to ensure that one-third of their existing flights shift from Terminal 1D to another so that each airline has enough access space at the airport.
This means T1 will continue to remain choked with only marginal relief, at least as of now.
BCCL/ File
Adding to the problems is the authorities failure to increase the runway capacity as promised.
The infra crunch was supposed to have eased in the upcoming season, with its three runways handling six more flights every hour and the jam-packed Terminal 1 getting some breathing space.
BCCL/ File
The minutes of meetings prepared by Airports Authority of India on slot allocation this winter shows IGIA's runways will handle only 67 flights an hour, 62 schedules and five are VVIP, defence and charter flights.
Aviation authorities had promised that IGIA's three runways will handle 73 flights an hour this winter. This was supposed to lead to six-seven more flights an hour from 6 am to 11 pm, meaning an increase of almost 120 flights a day -leading to more choice for flyers through increased frequencies and new destinations being connected to Delhi.