Delhi Airport to open part of Terminal 1 on 17 August, gradual ramp-up planned

New Delhi: Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport will resume operations in phases at Terminal 1 starting 17 August, nearly two months after a roof collapse halted operations, according to the airport operator GMR Group.

A large section of Terminal 1’s roof collapsed in the early hours of 28 June following heavy rain, leading to the closure of the entire terminal. One person was killed and eight others were injured in the accident, according to the airport administration.

“The part, including the canopy that had collapsed in June, is still blocked. This will impact a few check-in counters. However, the new building which was inaugurated in March will resume operations gradually,” an airport official said on condition of anonymity.

Delhi airport is India’s largest and busiest, managing about 20% of the country’s domestic and international traffic. In FY24, it handled 73.7 million passengers, up 12.8% from the previous financial year.

Delhi airport's three terminals have an annual capacity to handle around 104 million passengers. Terminal 1, formerly known as Palam, is the oldest of the three, and was once the only terminal for both domestic and international flights.

Also read | Delhi airport wants to increase international traffic capacity by 40-50%

As part of the master plan to modenize Delhi airport and make it ‘future-ready,’ expansion work on Terminal 1 began in 2019. It is now the largest domestic terminal, with an annual capacity of 40 million passengers, up from 17 million. 

Before its closure in June, Terminal 1 exclusively handled all SpiceJet flights and some IndiGo flights. The revamped terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March.

As part of the reopening plan, Delhi airport will see budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet gradually move flights back to Terminal 1. SpiceJet will transfer 13 flights to Terminal 1 starting 17 August, while IndiGo will shift 34 flights from Terminals 2 and 3 to Terminal 1 beginning 2 September.

"SpiceJet flights will have to enter through Entry Gate A on the ground floor. Passengers taking IndiGo flights will have to enter the new terminal through Entry Gates 5 and 6 on the first floor. All passenger arrivals will take place through dedicated arrivals on the ground floor,” according to a statement by the airport operator.

Also read | Delhi airport will now handle 100 mn passengers with expanded Terminal 1

In January 2006, a consortium led by the GMR Group was awarded a concession to operate, manage, and develop IGI Airport through an international competitive bidding process. The initial concession term is 30 years, with an option to extend it for an additional 30 years.