Terminal 1 at Delhi’s IGI Airport now ‘fully operational’, Day 1 marred by baggage issues, delays

5 pm, as the grievances kept pouring in, another advisory was put up. The issue “has already been escalated to the global Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for urgent resolution,” it read.

Earlier, IndiGo and Akasa Air, the two airlines operating out of T2, had notified passengers about the reassignment of flights via email, WhatsApp, and their websites. Approximately 270 flights and 50,000 passengers arrive and depart daily from T2. While Akasa Air had urged the flyers to reach the airport well in time. Indigo stated that schedule changes were likely.

But on Tuesday, it was a double whammy for the airlines to manage the relocation of operations and tackle the baggage collection issues.

Many passengers took to social media to vent their frustration. “@IndiGo6E Dear team, I have travelled today from Delhi to Jammu via flight 6E 2609 and my luggage which I checked in at the airport is still not received. First of all, I faced a delay in the check-in due to limited working belts. Secondly, the security check was also so much time-consuming. We got to know that flight got delayed by 40 minutes due to luggage clearance. And, now I haven’t received my luggage… they are telling me that it will come via our next available flight,” a passenger wrote on X.

Another user wrote: “@IndiGo6E @AAI_Official luggage belt not working for Indigo Delhi T1 airport leading to extreme delay and inconvenience.”

Amid a barrage of complaints, Indigo assured flyers that they would be “reunited” with their baggage that would be sent by “the earliest available flight”.

“Hi, please be informed that due to a temporary baggage belt failure at Delhi airport, baggage delivery across the network is delayed. Your bag will be sent on the earliest available flight, and we are doing everything possible to reunite you with it as soon as possible,” the airline said.

Earlier in January, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the IGIA, underlined in an official statement that “the temporary closure of Terminal 2 is expected to cause minimal disruption to operations, as the newly developed Terminal 1 will absorb the additional load, ensuring continued service to passengers.”

Further, a post on the official account of X of the Delhi airport on Sunday read, “In just two days, experience a smarter, more comfortable journey at Delhi Airport’s upgraded Terminal 1. Get ready for smoother travel, better connectivity, and world-class facilities — all under one roof.”

But technical issues and flight delays marred the day 1 of T1 getting fully operational. As per Flightradar24, a live flight tracking website, 326 (or 48 per cent) flights were delayed at the IGI Airport, as of 9 pm on Tuesday.

The IGI Airport has three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. T1 and T2 are used only for domestic flights.