Capital’s pride: T3 unveiling today

A Wholesome airport retail experienceTerminal 3,a milestone in Indian aviation,will also showcase the world’s finest retail brands. The GMR Group-backed developer Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) plans to offer passengers a memorable travelling experience focussing on modern India when the terminal opens its gates on July 15.

Comfortable lounges,nap and shower rooms will add to passenger comfort. Leaders in the food and beverage industries will offer a variety of wining and dining options at the new terminal,among them chains like Pizza Hut,Copper Chimney,Costa Coffee,KFC,Flavours,Café Ritazza and the Food Village.

A senior DIAL official said: “A mix of restaurants,bars,cafes and fast food outlets will cater to the diverse demands of passengers from India and around the world.”

DIAL has labelled the entire retailing experience at T3 as ‘Skyline Avenue’. Around 20,000 square metres of commercial space for retail will include a series of zones such as the duty-free area at the beginning and end of the walkthrough,a luxury retail space (with eight units ranging from 39 sq m to 150 sq m),a traditional ‘Dilli Bazaar’ at both the international and domestic departures,a watches-and-jewellery zone and a range of specialist and utilitarian retail sections. A consortium of Ireland’s travel retailer Aer Rianta International and the Indian Duty Free Services has won the contract to develop the duty-free section at T3 to operate,maintain and manage the outlets.

For international passengers

A passenger with hours to spare has areas to sit and relax in the galleried two-storied space,with natural light from skylights above and views of the apron and the runway. They can choose a variety of shops to browse through or eat at any of the numerous food and drink outlets. Passengers in a hurry will pass though the duty-free area,allowing them the opportunity to grab a product on their way to their gate.

After passing through security and crossing the four-storied atrium,passengers can view their flight details before walking through the 1,700-sq m duty-free space offering the latest options in perfume and cosmetics,wines,liquor,tobacco and cigars.

Clearly visible from where passengers enter the lounge is the “Dilli Bazaar”. This is at the heart of the departures lounge and has a collection of Indian handicraft and products reflecting the unique culture of Delhi.

For domestic passengers

The entrance to the lounge would offer a clear view of the whole commercial space. The duty-free area will offer a mix of shops offering a range of mid-market international brands as well as well-known Indian retailers.

An island of retail space will face the direction of the passenger’s flow through the lounge. Passengers naturally progress through the lounge towards their gates. There is ample seating for those with time to spare,along with a range of other passenger facilities.

For those in a hurry,the departure route takes them past a wide range of shops — a mix of international and Indian brands. Escalators allow easy access to the food court,restaurants and bars as well as the airline lounges at the mezzanine level above.

At the mezzanine level,they find a food court serving a range of regional dishes as well as a selection of international brands.

The countdown
JULY 3: Terminal 3 inaugurated

JULY 14: International operations of national carrier Air India shifted from T2 to T3

JULY 14,4.45 pm: Arrival of first flight — the New York-Delhi AI-102 — from JFK Airport

JULY 14,7 pm: T3’s first departure — Delhi-Dubai AI-895

JULY 15: All international flights start operating from T3

JULY 31: Main domestic carriers — Air India; Jet Airways,JetLite,Jet Konnect; and Kingfisher and Kingfisher Red — operate out of T3

Go Air migrates from Terminal 1A to operate from T1D

Indigo,Spicejet and Paramount Airways to continue to operate from Terminal 1D for departures and 1C for arrivals

No mean feat
Built at the cost of Rs 9,000 crore

Spread over 4 km

Terminal building has 9 levels

Will handle 34 million passengers a year

168 check-in counters

49 immigration desks

50 emmigration desks

78 aerobridges — highest for a single terminal

5 million sq ft in building

20,000 square metres of commercial space

89 travelators

60 room transit hotel for passengers

800 Flight Information Display Systems

4,300 cars can be parked at multi-level parking space connected to the terminal