Big changes coming to Delhi Airport: T1–T3 airside transfers, Pier C goes fully international - All you need to know

Passengers travelling to and from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) will see several changes over the next two to three months, as the airport operator works towards improving inter-terminal connectivity and increasing international handling capacity. Meanwhile, some long-pending proposals, including the much-discussed air train project, are likely to remain on hold for the time being.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has sought approval from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to introduce airside transfers for passengers travelling between Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 3 (T3). These two terminals are approximately eight kilometres apart. The proposal includes both domestic-to-international and international-to-domestic transfers.

Approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will also be required, as the buses will be crossing active taxiways.

BCAS will examine the proposal from a security perspective, while the DGCA will assess the aviation safety aspects. Domestic-to-domestic transfer passengers will be transported between Terminals 1 and 3 via buses on the city side.

“DIAL has applied for BCAS clearance for airside transfers between T1 and T3. If approvals come through, airside transfers for domestic-to-international and vice versa could begin by April,” people familiar with the matter said.

DIAL is also evaluating the possibility of an airside link between Terminals T2 and T3, with several technical experts studying the proposal, including its impact on the structural integrity of T2. This link could be operational by the middle of the year.

Currently, T3 is the only terminal handling international flights, while T1 and T2 are used for domestic operations. Under the long-term plan, T1 will continue to serve low-cost domestic airlines, while the proposed Terminal 4 – which will eventually replace the existing T2 from 1986 – is expected to handle both domestic and international flights. However, the timeline for demolishing T2 and commencing work on T4 is yet to be finalised, as DIAL is waiting to assess the impact of the upcoming Noida International Airport on IGIA's passenger traffic.

Pier C will be fully converted into an international

DIAL expects that Pier C of Terminal 3 will be fully converted into an international pier by March, after receiving final approvals from BCAS, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and the Immigration and Customs authorities. The airport operator had initially considered using swing gates to allow Pier C to be used for international flights at night and domestic flights during the day, but this idea was abandoned due to concerns about mixing passengers from different flights.

Once operational, T3 will have three international piers—A, B, and C—while pier D will handle domestic flights during the summer schedule.

On the landside, the Public Works Department (PWD) has appointed RITES as a consultant to re-examine the proposal for a Y-shaped flyover between Terminals 1 and 3, along with widening the runway tunnel road to provide signal-free access. The study is expected to be completed by March-April and will be submitted to the central government for consideration under the Urban Development Fund, under which the central government will bear 80 per cent of the cost and the state government the remaining 20 per cent.

Given the significant commercial and retail developments coming to Aerocity, the road expansion is considered necessary.

The long-delayed proposal for an automated air train connecting Terminals T1, T2/T3, Aerocity, and the cargo terminal remains stalled, and its implementation is highly unlikely during the remaining decade of DIAL's initial 30-year concession period, which ends in 2036. Officials said that potential bidders would have very little time to recoup their investment, as construction alone would take three to four years.

DIAL cannot commit to long-term financial expenditures beyond 2036 unless it receives a 30-year extension of its concession period.

Due to the absence of an air train, the upcoming Golden Line of the Delhi Metro—which will connect T1 and Aerocity via a 2.3-kilometre underground section—is now being considered as an alternative. Since Aerocity is already connected to T3 by the metro, passengers will eventually be able to travel between T1 and T3 by interchanging between platforms. However, officials believe this will not offer the same seamless experience as the dedicated airport people movers found at airports like JFK, Zurich, or Dubai.