Indira Gandhi International Airport
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| Indira Gandhi International Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: DEL – ICAO: VIDP | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Airports Authority of India | ||
| Operator | DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited) | ||
| Serves | Delhi | ||
| Location | New Delhi, India | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 777 ft / 237 m | ||
| Coordinates | 28°33′59″N 077°06′11″E / 28.56639°N 77.10306°E | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 10/28 | 12,500 | 3,810 | Asphalt |
| 09/27 | 9,229 | 2,813 | Asphalt |
| 11/29 | 14,534 | 4,430 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2007) | |||
| Aircraft Movements | |||
| Passengers | 23,970,000 [3] | ||
| Capacity | 12 million | ||
Indira Gandhi International Airport (Hindi: इन्दिरा गाँधी अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डा) (IATA: DEL, ICAO: VIDP) is an airport located in Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, it is the busiest airport in India in terms of number of daily flights and the second-busiest in India in terms of passenger volume.[1][2] The airport serves as the primary civilian aviation hub for the National Capital Region of India. The airport was previously operated by the Indian Air Force and was a part of the Palam Airport until its management was transferred to Airport Authority of India.[3] In May 2006, the management of the airport was passed over to a joint venture, known as Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) and led by GMR Group, which will also have the responsibility for the airport's ongoing expansion and modernisation.[4]
In 2007, Indira Gandhi International Airport handled 23 million passengers annually and the planned expansion program will increase its capacity to handle 100 million passengers by 2030.[5] The new Terminal 3 building, currently under construction and expected to cost US$1.94 billion, will handle an additional 37 million passengers annually before the start of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[6] In September 2008, the airport inaugurated a 4.43 kilometre-long runway.
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[edit] History
The airport, which was earlier known as Palam Airport, was built around the second world war and served as an Air Force Station for the Indian Air Force. Passenger operations were later shifted to the airport from Safdarjung Airport in 1962 due to an increase in traffic. Palam Airport had a peak capacity of around 1300 passengers per hour [7].
Owing to an increase in air traffic in the 70s, an additional terminal with nearly four times the area of the old Palam terminal was constructed. With the inauguration of a new international terminal (Terminal 2), shaped like a trapezoid on 2 May 1986, the airport was renamed as Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The trapezoid terminal (international) has nine jet bridges.
[edit] Statistics
The old Palam terminal is now known as Terminal 1 and handles all domestic flights. The terminal has been divided into three separate terminals - 1A (for domestic flights of state owned Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines), 1B (for all other domestic airlines) and Domestic Arrival Terminal. There is also a separate Technical Area for the use of VVIP movements. Additionally there is a separate Hajj terminal for catering rush during Hajj.
Owing to the booming Indian Aviation industry and the entry of numerous low-cost private carriers, the airport saw a huge jump in passenger traffic and has failed to cope with the demand. The capacity of Terminal 1 is estimated to be 7.15 million passengers per annum (mppa). However, the actual throughput for 2005/06 was an estimated 10.4 million passengers. Including the international terminal (Terminal 2), the airport has a total capacity of 12.5 mppa whereas the total passenger traffic in 2006/07 was 16.5 million passengers per annum[8] In 2007, there was a 6.5 million increase in the airport's passenger traffic, making the number of passengers 23 million that used the airport. In 2008, total passenger count at the airport reached 23.97 million.
Delhi Airport has two parallel runways and a non-parallel runway: a new runway 11/29(14,534ft (4430m))with CAT IIIB ILS on both sides, the main runway 10/28 (12,500 ft (3,810 m)) and an auxiliary runway 09/27 (9,229 ft (2,813 m)). Runway 28 is one of the few runways in Asia and the only one in South Asia equipped with CAT III-B instrument landing system. In the winter of 2005 there were a record number of disruptions at Delhi airport due to fog/smog. Since then some domestic airlines have trained their pilots to operate under CAT-II conditions of a minimum 350 m (1,100 ft) visibility. On 31 March 2006, IGI became the first Indian airport to operate two runways simultaneously following a test run involving a SpiceJet plane landing and a Jet Airways plane taking off at the same time.
As there is an Indian Air Force Base (Hindon) in the flight path of Delhi airport it is necessary for civilian aircraft to make a five-minute detour to avoid over-flying the military facility. In previous years the IAF used to close Delhi airport for use during annual celebrations to mark its "raising" day. As of 2006 such activities are conducted at Hindon Air Force Base to reduce disruption to civilian air traffic at Delhi airport.
[edit] Modernisation and expansion
| Terminal 1D inauguration video | |
| Terminal 3 promotional video | |
Delhi Airport has been undergoing major upgrades since Fraport, Airports Authority of India, Eraman Malaysia, and GMR Infrastructure have been granted the contract to manage and build the airport over a 35 year period. Terminal 1A and 2 have been renovated with new washrooms, ceilings, departure areas and the latest security equipment.
The companies have also been constructing the brand new Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport. This terminal will cater to both domestic and international passengers until the second phase of construction is completed, which will include an additional new terminal catering exclusively for international flights. Terminal 3 will be built in place of the older existing terminals.
Designed by HOK working in consultation with Mott MacDonald, the new Terminal 3 will be a two-tier building, with the bottom floor being the arrivals area, and the top being a departures area. This terminal will have over 160 check-in counters, 74 aerobridges, 30 parking bays, 72 immigration counters, 15 X-ray screening areas, for less waiting times, duty-free shops, and other features.[9][10] Over 90% of passengers will use this terminal when completed. This new terminal is planned to be completed in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Delhi, and will be connected to Delhi by an eight-lane motorway (National Highway 8), and the Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System. Terminal 3 will cater to more than 35 million passengers a year.
In September 2008, the airport inaugurated a 4.43 kilometre long runway, making it one of the longest operational runways in Asia. The runway will increase the airport's capacity to handle 70 flights from the present 34-40 flights per hour.[11] As of September 2008, the new runway was undergoing trials.[12]
Terminal 3 would form the first phase of the airport expansion in which a U shaped building would be developed in a modular manner. In 2010, all international and full service domestic carriers will operate from Terminal 3, while Terminal 1 will be developed as an exclusive terminal for low cost carriers. In subsequent stages, the low cost carriers will also move to the new terminal complex.
Terminal 4 and 5 will be built at a later stage, and once completed, all international flights will move to these two new terminals, while Terminal 3 will then solely be used for handling domestic air traffic. A new cargo handling building is also planned. According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), these new terminals will cost approximately US$7.5 billion dollars and will increase the airport's annual passenger volume capacity to 100 million.[10]
[edit] Incidents and accidents
- 25 January 1970 - Royal Nepal Airlines Fokker F27-200 (9N-AAR) after a flight from Kathmandu, Nepal was caught in severe thunderstorms with turbulence and downdrafts on final approach to Palam Airport. The pilot could not control the aircraft and crashed short of the runway. Of the five crew and 18 passengers, one crew member was killed.[13]
- 14 June 1974 - Japan Airlines Flight 471 crashed outside of Palam International Airport, killing 82 of 87 occupants; 10 of 11 crew members and 72 of 76 passengers died, and 3 people on the ground died.[14] 16 of the dead were Americans.[15]
- 23 June 1985 - Air India Flight 182, Kanishka, which was traveling to Delhi as a stop on a route from Montreal to Bombay, disintegrated in midair after a bomb activated.[16]
- On 12 November 1996 the airport was the scene of the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision when a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-168B, climbing out after takeoff, collided with an incoming Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin IL-76 chartered by a fashion company, causing the deaths of all aboard the two planes. This incident is also known to be the second worst air disaster in aviation history.
- On Christmas Eve, 24 December 1999, Indian Airlines Flight 814, which had just taken off from Kathmandu, Nepal to Indira Gandhi International Airport was hijacked. The plane flew around different points in South Asia and Southwest Asia as officials of the Government of India and the Taliban negotiated. One passenger was killed and some were released. On 31 December 1999, the rest of the hostages on Flight 814 were freed.
[edit] Terminals
IGI Airport is the home of several Indian airlines including Indian Airlines, SpiceJet, Air India Regional and IndiGo Airlines. Air India and Jet Airways use IGI Airport as their second hub after Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. The airport is also a major base for various other Indian air carriers including Kingfisher Airlines, GoAir, Deccan and Jet Lite. Approximately 60 airlines serve this airport. There are six operational terminals making up this airport, they are the following:
[edit] Terminal 1A
Terminal 1A caters to all domestic flights operated by Go Air, Indian Airlines and Air India Regional. This terminal was built in the early 90's to cater to Indian Airlines domestic flights only. It had to be refurbished after a fire gutted the interiors. DIAL, the owner of the airport, has significantly upgraded this terminal. It now sports a new look with modern washrooms and facilities, however will be torn down on the completion of newer terminals which are expected to finish construction in the coming years.
[edit] Terminal 1B
Terminal 1B has been closed for commercial use for the public after the opening up of Terminal 1D which opened in April 2009.
[edit] Terminal 1C
The terminal in which all domestic operations (airlines from terminals 1A and 1B) arrive. The terminal is compact, however has received a new greeting area with expanded space, and a bigger luggage reclaim area.
[edit] Terminal 1D
Terminal 1D is the brand new interim domestic terminal, that was inaugurated on the February 26, 2009. All domestic flights were moved to this new building from the second week of April, 2009. It is almost double the size of the current Terminal 1B. Once the new Terminal 3 is constructed in 2010, this terminal will be made solely to cater to the low cost carriers as the full fare airlines will also move to Terminal 3, along with the international flights. Terminal 1D has the capacity to handle 10 million customers per year.
Terminal 1D commenced operations on April 15,2009. Currently the terminal is used by IndiGo, Jet Airways, JetLite, Kingfisher Airline, Kingfisher Red and SpiceJet.
[edit] Terminal 2 (International)
Handling all International operations at the airport, it is the airport's newest and largest terminal. However, constructed in the 80's, it is also in desperate need of repair, and it is half its size to cater to all its passengers. This sign of distress has already been taken care of. The entire terminal has been upgraded. It has been repainted, new, glass windows have replaced the old dark ones, floors have been retiled, walls and ceilings now have new surfaces, more immigration and emigration counters have been implemented, new seats have been brought in, new baggage belts, more business lounges, eateries, and duty free shops have also been added. Once all airlines move to the new Terminal 3 upon its completion in 2010 Terminal 2 will work in tandem with T3, until the proposed T4 terminal is built, upon which it will be demolished as per the proposed master plan [17].
[edit] Hajj Terminal
Upon the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj, all airlines bound for the middle east move to this separate terminal to prevent disruption of other passengers who are travelling to other areas of the globe. A separate area has been made for Hajj to cater to the abundance of additional travellers during this season, and to accommodate them with enough provided space. It has a 10 million passengers per annum capacity. It is used from October to December. Plans are underway to use the building for the remaining 10 months of the year also.
[edit] Cargo Terminal
The Cargo Terminal handles all cargo operations. The airport received an award in 2007 for its excellent and organised cargo handling system.
[edit] Terminal 3
Terminal 3 is predicted to be the third largest terminal in the world (after Dubai International Airport's Terminal 3 and Beijing Capital International Airport's Terminal 3) and will eventually be used by all airlines.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air India Regional | Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Chennai, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kulu, Pathankot, Surat, Udaipur, Vadodara, Visakhapatnam |
| GoAir | Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Cochin, Goa, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Mumbai, Srinagar |
| Indian Airlines | Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Khajuraho, Kolkata, Leh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Srinagar, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Varanasi |
| IndiGo Airlines | Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Vadodara |
| Jagson Airlines | Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Kulu, Pantnagar, Shimla |
| Jet Airways | Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Khajuraho, Kolkata, Leh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Pune, Srinagar, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Vadodara |
| JetLite | Ahmedabad, Amritsar Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Dibrugarh, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune, Srinagar, Visakhapatnam |
| Kingfisher Airlines | Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Dharamsala, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Kulu, Leh, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Simla, Srinagar, Trivandrum, Udaipur, Varanasi |
| MDLR Airlines | Chandigarh, Jamshedpur, Goa, Kulu, Lucknow, Ranchi |
| SpiceJet | Ahmedabad, Bagdogra, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Srinagar, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam |
| Paramount Airways | Chennai [18] |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Aeroflot | Moscow-Sheremetyevo |
| Aerosvit | Kiev-Boryspil |
| Air Arabia | Sharjah |
| Air Astana | Almaty |
| Air China | Beijing-Capital |
| Air France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle |
| Air India | Chicago-O'Hare, Dammam, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jeddah, London-Heathrow, Mumbai, New York-JFK, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Riyadh, Shanghai-Pudong, Tokyo-Narita |
| Air India Express | Bahrain[19], Doha[20], Dubai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai |
| Air India Regional | Kathmandu |
| Air Mauritius | Mauritius |
| American Airlines | Chicago-O'Hare |
| Ariana Afghan Airlines | Kabul |
| Asiana Airlines | Seoul-Incheon |
| Austrian Airlines | Vienna |
| Biman Bangladesh | Dhaka [resumes 3 October][21] |
| British Airways | London-Heathrow |
| Cathay Pacific | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Hong Kong |
| China Airlines | Taipei-Taoyuan |
| China Eastern Airlines | Beijing-Capital, Shanghai-Pudong |
| China Southern Airlines | Guangzhou |
| Continental Airlines | Newark |
| Cosmic Air | Kathmandu |
| Druk Air | Kathmandu, Paro |
| Emirates | Dubai |
| Etihad Airways | Abu Dhabi |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa, Beijing-Capital |
| Finnair | Helsinki |
| GMG Airlines | Dhaka |
| Gulf Air | Bahrain |
| Indian Airlines | Amritsar, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Dubai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kabul, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Muscat, Sharjah, Singapore |
| JALways operated by Japan Airlines | Tokyo-Narita |
| Jazeera Airways | Dubai, Kuwait |
| Jet Airways | Abu Dhabi, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Brussels, Dhaka, Dubai, Kathmandu, London-Heathrow, Singapore, Toronto-Pearson |
| JetLite | Kathmandu |
| Kam Air | Kabul |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Amsterdam |
| Kuwait Airways | Kuwait |
| Kyrgyzstan Airlines | Bishkek |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt, Munich |
| Mahan Air | Tehran-Imam Khomeini |
| Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur |
| Nepal Airlines | Kathmandu |
| Oman Air | Muscat |
| Pakistan International Airlines | Karachi, Lahore |
| Pamir Airways | Kabul [22] |
| Qatar Airways | Doha |
| Royal Jordanian | Amman |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | Dammam, Riyadh |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore |
| Sri Lankan Airlines | Colombo |
| Swiss International Airlines | Zürich |
| Thai Airways International | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul-Atatürk |
| Turkmenistan Airlines | Ashgabat |
| Uzbekistan Airways | Tashkent |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | London-Heathrow |
| Xpressair | Kathmandu |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air India Cargo | Zurich, Mumbai |
| Air France Cargo | Paris |
| Atlant-Soyuz Airlines | Chartered destinations |
| British Airways World Cargo | London |
| Blue Dart Aviation | Domestic chartered destinations |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong |
| Crescent Air Cargo | Chartered destinations |
| DHL Air | Worldwide |
| Etihad Crystal Cargo | Abu Dhabi |
| EVA Air Cargo | Taipei |
| FedEx Express | |
| Flyington Freighters | Chartered destinations |
| Korean Air Cargo | Seoul-Incheon |
| Lufthansa Cargo | Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig-Halle, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai-Pudong |
| Singapore Airlines Cargo | Singapore |
| Uzbekistan Airways Cargo [23] | Navoi |
[edit] Ground transportation
Connected from Delhi by the Delhi Gurgaon Expressway. Low floor Tata Marcopolo Buses regularly run between the airport and the city. Delhi Metro link to be completed by 2010. DTC operates several buses to the airport.
The Delhi Metro is currently constructing an "Airport Express" metro line connecting the airport to New Delhi, which is planned to be completed by 2010.
[edit] Fixed base operators (FBO)
[edit] Caterers
- Ambassador's SkyChef
- Chef Air
- Taj-Sats
- Oberoi Flight Services
[edit] Fuelers
[edit] Ground handlers
- NACIL
- GlobeGround India
- Airworks India
- Cambata Aviation
- Livewel Aviation Services Pvt Ltd.
- Concord Aviation Pvt Ltd.
[edit] References
- ^ Delhi beats Mumbai to become busiest airport
- ^ Delhi's IGI edges ahead of Mumbai's CSIA as country's busiest airport
- ^ Why they should stay with the Air Force
- ^ Mumbai, Delhi airport management to be handed over to pvt cos
- ^ Sky's the limit for India flight boom
- ^ India begins $1.94b Delhi airport revamp
- ^ IGIA Customs-about IGI Airport
- ^ IGI Airport tops world in growth
- ^ Delhi International Airport (P) Limited - GMR
- ^ a b DIAL to invest Rs 30,000 cr, build 4 new terminals in Delhi
- ^ New Delhi airport aims to open Asia's longest runway soon
- ^ Flight of Delhi’s 3rd runway curtailed
- ^ Aviation Safety Network retrieved 28 May 2008
- ^ "14 JUN 1972 Douglas DC-8-53 Japan Air Lines - JAL." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ^ "[http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=17802041 Death Toll in Air Disasters Heavy]." United Press International via Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Thursday June 15, 1972. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ^ "23 JUN 1985 Boeing 747-237B Air-India." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on March 24, 2009.
- ^ Master Plan Development
- ^ http://www.paramountairways.com/doc/EDM.pdf
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=94628
- ^ http://http://www.pamirairways.af/demodisplay.php?page_id=30
- ^ http://airlineroute.blogspot.com/2009/06/uzbekistan-airways-begins-all-cargo.html
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Indira Gandhi International Airport |
- Indira Gandhi International Airport Official Website
- Indira Gandhi International Airport at Airports Authority of India web site
- GMR Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)
- GMR Group
- Delhi Airport Master Plan
- Airport information for VIDP at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
- Accident history for DEL at Aviation Safety Network
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