Technical study of Delhi Airport’s T-1 to conclude in a month; operations suspended
NEW DELHI: The ailed technical study of the Delhi airport’s now shut Terminal 1 (T1) is expected to be completed in a month and depending on the findings, the decision will be taken on recommencing operations at the terminal, a senior government official said on Sunday. All flights from T1 have been shifted to Terminal 2 (T2) and Terminal 3 (T3), and all of them were being operated, the official said.
On June 28, a canopy at the old departure forecourt of T1 partially collapsed amid heavy rains resulting in the death of a person and causing injuries to at least six people. Following the incident, the civil aviation ministry said structural engineers from IIT Delhi have been asked to immediately assess the partial collapse of the canopy.
The official said the technical study of T1 is expected to take about a month. After the findings come in, a decision will be taken about recommencing operations at T1, the official added.
The IGIA, operated by a GMR Group-led consortium DIAL has three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3 -- and handles around 1,400 flight movements daily. T1 was used for domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. From T1, the official said 72 flights of IndiGo have been shifted to T2 and T3, and 17 flights to T3, adding that all the flights are operational.
“All SpiceJet flights to/from Delhi from 1st till 7th Jul’24 will operate from Terminal 3, Delhi Airport. Necessary information has been communicated to all the passengers on their registered contact details (SMS/Email),” the airline said in a post on X.
Two sources in the know said it might take a few months before operations can resume at T1. In response to a set of detailed queries related to T1, DIAL said its cross-functional teams are actively evaluating the situation and engaging with various stakeholders to ensure passenger safety and convenience. “We remain committed to maintaining flight operations at T3 and T2, while operations at T1 are temporarily suspended. We appreciate the understanding and support of all stakeholders,” a DIAL spokesperson said in a statement.
To queries about business loss of concessionaries operating shops and services at T1, the spokesperson said as the evaluation process is still ongoing, it is too early to provide specific inputs. As a precautionary measure, all flight operations from T1 have been suspended till further notice. The expanded T1, the capacity of which has increased to handle 40 million passengers from 17 million, is yet to be fully operational.
“While the cause for the collapse of the canopy is being assessed, the primary cause seems to be the heavy rainfall.The IMD reported that Delhi’s Safdarjung recorded 228.1mm of rain in 24 hours, the highest in June in 85 years, against a 30-year average of 75.2mm,” the spokesperson said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and a DIAL technical committee will probe the roof collapse. The Airports Authority of India is directed to inspect all airports’ structural strength. The ministry emphasised the need for enhanced safety measures and policies to prevent such incidents in the future.
