Delhi Airport to raise passenger capacity by 20% to 12.5 cr by 2030

GMR-backed Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) plans to boost Indira Gandhi International Airport’s passenger handling capacity by around 20%, from the current 10.5 crore annually to 12.5 crore by 2029–30. The expansion will be carried out without replacing Terminal 2 for now. According to DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, the increase will come from constructing Pier E at Terminal 3, which will add 1–1.2 crore passengers annually, easing congestion at Terminal 1, and creating additional aircraft parking bays at T3.

"We are working on the master plan. Based on it, we will know in a month or so whether pier E that should be ready in two-three years will be domestic or international. We expect to exhaust our existing capacity in three-four years," Jaipuriar said at an aviation conference in the city.

T3 currently has four piers, two each for domestic and international flights. One of the domestic piers will be converted into an international one this winter.

The final phase of development at Indira Gandhi International Airport envisages demolishing the 1986-built 1.5-CPA T2 and building a much bigger terminal in its place. When that happens remains to be seen as Noida International Airport is also going to open this winter and DIAL will closely watch its impact on IGIA. T2 reopened after getting refurbished on Oct 26. Jaipuriar said beginning the work on T2's successor would depend "on the trigger of traffic".

Airport operators usually kick off the next phase of growth when the actual passenger footfall reaches 80% of the capacity. As IGIA will achieve 12.5 CPA by 2029-30, 80% of that means 10 crore. The T2 replacement could be planned around that time. The airport handled a little less than eight crore passengers in 2024-25.

(With TOI inputs)