New Delhi: Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has begun conducting trials for transferring check-in baggage of connecting passengers between T3 (IGIA’s only international terminal) and the all domestic T1. Next week T1 will get fully operational and then T2 will be shut for repairs. However with an air train still a few years away, transfers between T3 & T1 — at a time when connecting traffic is on the rise thanks to massive network expansion by Air India group and IndiGo — remain a major pain point for passengers. To make domestic-internatinal or vice versa transfers between T3 & T1 little less painful, DIAL plans to ensure baggage of some connecting passengers gets transferred on the airside without them being required to carry the same with them on buses.
As of now, international arrivals at Delhi airport have to complete their immigration and customs clearance have to check-in baggage again for connecting flights. “DIAL is conducting trials for smooth transfer of cabin baggage from T3 to T1 for passengers arriving from international destinations and having a connecting flight from T1,” DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said Friday. Jaipuriar said once the new system is implemented, then, after customs clearance, passengers will not have to carry baggage to T1. They can drop the baggage at T3, and the airline concerned will transfer it to T1 through the airside, Jaipuriar said. DIAL has told the civil aviation ministry that transfer of passengers for connecting flights from T1 to T3 will be completed in 120 minutes. The number of transfer traffic is expected to rise and with the 7-km apart T1 & T3 not connected by an air train, smooth connections are a distant dream as of now. “We have committed to Govt that it will be ensured passengers coming out of T1 can board a flight in T3 in 120 minutes,” he said.
About the main runway (28/10) that has been closed for upgrading instrument landing system (ILS) on one end, Jaipuriar said said this work will be completed by this Sept, much before fog season sets in. “Post this work, both ends of 28/10 will be CAT III compliant and be able to handle landings in dense fog till visibility is 50 metres,” he said.
Meanwhile, DIAL has set a target of making IGIA India’s first “global gateway” hub in the next 1-2 years as its main home airlines — Air India group and IndiGo — implement massive international network plans. Jaipuriar Friday said IGIA is currently handling over 2 crore international passengers annually of which 55 lakh are connecting.
“Delhi is connected to 70 international destinations at the moment, of which nine are in North America and 18 in Europe. We have 280 weekly frequencies to these two places (or long haul flights), more than 260 that Singapore Changi has at present. Apart from growing in North America and Europe, we are looking at increasing connectivity with Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, for which an MoU has been signed with Auckland Airport,” Jaipuriar said.
With IndiGo and Tata Group’s Air India adding international flights, Delhi is already witnessing “interesting flows” or transfer traffic of the kind that nearby hubs like Dubai, Doha and Changi have seen for years in terms of international-to-international (I-I) connecting passengers. “We are seeing transfer traffic at IGIA for travel between Singapore and Paris; Dubai and Hong Kong; Sri Lanka/Thailand (Phuket) and Europe. There are certain vital things required for increasing I-I traffic at IGIA on which the Govt is working on with all stakeholders including us and the airlines,” the CEO said.
Some of these vital aspects have been implemented like increasing the I-I transfer area; increasing number of security check points, immigration counters and DigiYatra enabled gates; creating early baggage storage system for keeping check-in bags for a few hours before they get loaded to transfer flights and improved processes for a better passenger experience.
As of now, international arrivals at Delhi airport have to complete their immigration and customs clearance have to check-in baggage again for connecting flights. “DIAL is conducting trials for smooth transfer of cabin baggage from T3 to T1 for passengers arriving from international destinations and having a connecting flight from T1,” DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said Friday. Jaipuriar said once the new system is implemented, then, after customs clearance, passengers will not have to carry baggage to T1. They can drop the baggage at T3, and the airline concerned will transfer it to T1 through the airside, Jaipuriar said. DIAL has told the civil aviation ministry that transfer of passengers for connecting flights from T1 to T3 will be completed in 120 minutes. The number of transfer traffic is expected to rise and with the 7-km apart T1 & T3 not connected by an air train, smooth connections are a distant dream as of now. “We have committed to Govt that it will be ensured passengers coming out of T1 can board a flight in T3 in 120 minutes,” he said.
About the main runway (28/10) that has been closed for upgrading instrument landing system (ILS) on one end, Jaipuriar said said this work will be completed by this Sept, much before fog season sets in. “Post this work, both ends of 28/10 will be CAT III compliant and be able to handle landings in dense fog till visibility is 50 metres,” he said.
Meanwhile, DIAL has set a target of making IGIA India’s first “global gateway” hub in the next 1-2 years as its main home airlines — Air India group and IndiGo — implement massive international network plans. Jaipuriar Friday said IGIA is currently handling over 2 crore international passengers annually of which 55 lakh are connecting.
“Delhi is connected to 70 international destinations at the moment, of which nine are in North America and 18 in Europe. We have 280 weekly frequencies to these two places (or long haul flights), more than 260 that Singapore Changi has at present. Apart from growing in North America and Europe, we are looking at increasing connectivity with Asia Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand, for which an MoU has been signed with Auckland Airport,” Jaipuriar said.
With IndiGo and Tata Group’s Air India adding international flights, Delhi is already witnessing “interesting flows” or transfer traffic of the kind that nearby hubs like Dubai, Doha and Changi have seen for years in terms of international-to-international (I-I) connecting passengers. “We are seeing transfer traffic at IGIA for travel between Singapore and Paris; Dubai and Hong Kong; Sri Lanka/Thailand (Phuket) and Europe. There are certain vital things required for increasing I-I traffic at IGIA on which the Govt is working on with all stakeholders including us and the airlines,” the CEO said.
Some of these vital aspects have been implemented like increasing the I-I transfer area; increasing number of security check points, immigration counters and DigiYatra enabled gates; creating early baggage storage system for keeping check-in bags for a few hours before they get loaded to transfer flights and improved processes for a better passenger experience.
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