Delhi airport’s T1 opens today: Key changes to know before heading for your flights

Terminal 1 (T1) of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is reopening today after it was shut nine months ago following a canopy collapse due to rains. With this and T2 starting renovation work, key budget carriers like IndiGo and Akasa Air are moving their domestic flight operations to T1.

The new T1 will be fully operational from Tuesday (April 15) until T2 goes through the renovation work.

IndiGo and Akasa Air operated from Terminal 2 (T2), which managed approximately 270 to 280 flight movements daily and handles over 46,000 passengers each day.

KEY THINGS TO KNOW

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), India's largest airport and operated by DIAL, has three terminals – T1, T2 and T3 – and four runways. Currently, T1 and T2 are used only for domestic flights.

As T2 closes to carry out maintenance works from today, April 15, and one runway is already shut for maintenance works, all domestic flight operations will now be moved to T1.

In a statement on Monday, IndiGo said it was reaching out to all its passengers informing them about the change in terminals.

All passengers who are heading to the airport to catch their flights are also recommended to use the PNR to confirm departure and arrival terminals of their flights.

“The airline is reaching out to all passengers and their respective travel agents through SMS, calls, and emails to notify them. IndiGo recommends retrieving PNR on the airline's website or mobile app to check departure / arrival terminal before heading to the airport,” it said in a statement.

Akasa Air also informed on Monday that it would be moving all its flight operations to Terminal 1 from April 15. “Our teams are working diligently to ensure a seamless transition of our operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1,” it said.

The expanded T1 can accommodate 40 million passengers.

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Monday said T3 and the T1 will be able to handle the passenger traffic and emphasised that there is unlikely to be congestion due to the closure of T2.

The newly opened T1 reportedly has 100 check-in counters – 36 Self Baggage Drop (SBD) kiosks, 108 Common Usage Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks for check-in and self-service – and 20 Automated Tray Retrieval Systems (ATRS) for smoother security checks, DIAL had said.

The terminal has been expanded from 55,740 sq m to 2,06,950 sq m.

Terminal 1 has its own metro station. The Magenta Line links Delhi metro stations Janakpuri West to the Botanical Garden while connecting to Terminal 1-IGI Airport station.