Delhi IGI Airport Upgrade – Design & Status
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is undergoing a major expansion project by GMR which will see an expanded Terminal 1 (T1) in Palam, a fourth runway, expanded facilities inside Terminal 3 (T3), and a unique ‘dual elevated cross taxiway’ to increase passenger handling capacity. In the future, a new Terminal 4 and Air Train will also be built.
Construction on Terminal 1 is being carried out by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) through an approximately Rs. 7000 crore contract. When it opens in 2023, it will integrate domestic departure and arrival terminals under one roof and double its capacity from 20 million passengers per annum to 40 million passengers.
Delhi Airport’s new Terminal 1 (T1) is expected to be completed and opened in December 2023.
Expansion and Upgrades
- Phase 3A
- Merging T1D and T1C as T1 and expanding the single terminal
- Partially shifting T1 operations to renovated T2 (interim)
- Building new East Elevated Cross Taxiway
- Phase 3B
- Constructing Fourth runway (11R-29L)
- Upgrading T2 in to T4 (on-hold)
Terminal 1 Expansion
Passenger traffic in FY2017 crossed the existing T1’s capacity of 20 million necessitating for an expanded terminal. The departure terminal (T1-D) and arrivals terminal (T1-C) are being merged into one futuristic terminal with a capacity to handle 40 million passengers.
| Existing T1 | New T1 | |
| Area | 60,000 sq meters | 169,000 sq meters |
| Entry Gates | 8 | 13 |
| Baggage Handling | 4 | 9 |
| Arrival Baggage Belts | 8 | 10 |
| Aircraft Slots | 55 | 82 |
A “smart apron” being built west of T1 will increase the number of parking stands from 55 to 82, have 22 ‘contact’ stands and eight Multiple Apron Ramp System (MARS) to accommodate much larger aircrafts. As of December 2021, 19 new stands have become operational after statutory approvals from DGCA.
Per Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL):
The new layout will facilitate improved air traffic flow and enhance airside safety. The creation of new contact stands will also lead to a reduction in the Ground Support Equipment required. This will ensure faster aircraft turnaround time and improve safety in the apron area, resulting in improved operational efficiency on the airside.
Status Video
Video by a local YouTuber:
Elevated Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT)
The airport will feature 2.1km-long & 203m wide dual ECTs to reduce turn-around times, and a 148m bridge section over the main road between T3 and Mahipalpur, both under construction by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Per DIAL, once the ECT is complete, the distance covered by an aircraft after landing for taxiing will reduce from around nine kilometres to two kilometres. Construction work on the Eastern Cross Taxiway is expected to be completed by December 2022 and will become operational in 2023.
Fourth Runway
The fourth runway 11R-29L is expected to be around 4,400 metres long and 75 metres wide. It is slightly smaller than the third runway known as 29/11 and will start operating by mid-2022.
Page last updated: April 24, 2023. Have a question or spot an error? Let me know here.