Passengers on IndiGo’s flight 6E 6532 from Goa were the first to experience the new arrivals terminal, with the flight landing at 3.20am on Thursday, officials said
The arrivals section of the new Terminal 1 building at the Delhi’s airport opened for operations after midnight on Wednesday, with the entire arrival operations of the existing Terminal 1C shifting to the new section. Passengers on IndiGo’s flight 6E 6532 from Goa were the first to experience the new arrivals terminal, with the flight landing at 3.20am on Thursday, officials said.
With operations at this terminal now off the ground, all arrivals operations from the existing T1C facility (IndiGo and SpiceJet) have now moved to the new building. Departures, however, will continue from the existing terminal (T1D).
The new building has been built by the airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), as part of the airport’s ongoing Phase 3A expansion plan, which will see Terminal 1 double its capacity from 20 million passengers per annum to 40 million passengers per annum.
The existing T1C building is set to be demolished soon, the T1D building will be next in line and will eventually be integrated with the new arrivals hall to form a new departures section – both of which will fall under one roof in the new T1 building. It will include a new node area that houses retail, food and beverage (F&B) outlets, and a pier section that will comprise 22 contact stands for aircraft.
“The new arrivals terminal will offer passengers a distinctive experience with a contemporary meet-and-greet zone, a plush forecourt area which includes landscaping, kiosks for F&B, retail outlets and an expanded parking area for cars, and more,” said a DIAL spokesperson.
Outside the new arrivals terminal, the operator has added three pick-up lanes for cars. T1 will now have 11 pick-up lanes, which “will ease congestion and significantly improve passenger experience and convenience during pickup,” the DIAL spokesperson said.
The new arrivals terminal spans 8,000 square metres and is equipped with four new baggage carousels, officials said, adding that the building has been constructed in consonance with the globally accepted “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)” green building standards, with the widespread use of glass panels to allow ample sunlight during the day and reduce power consumption
“T1 at Delhi airport will now offer a distinctive experience to arriving passengers and also to those coming in to meet and greet the arriving passengers. The terminal includes contemporary zones for comfort and leisure, eco-friendly features like maximum use of daylight concept and offers an astute combination of green buildings and superior operational processes delivering enhanced passenger experience,” Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO, DIAL.
