Trials on,airlines to shift base from Sunday

Once operational,70 per cent of the airlines would operate from terminal 1D. While Jet Airways,Jetlite,Kingfisher Red,Indigo and Spicejet will be shifted from 1B to 1D; Kingfisher will be shifted from 1A to 1D. GoAir and Jagson will be shifted from 1B to 1A,while there will be no change in the location of Air India and MDLR and they will continue to operate from 1A.

“DIAL,airlines,ground handlers and the CISF have been involved in Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) trials to familiarise them with the new features,layout and operating procedures of the new terminal,” said a DIAL official.

Trials are also being conducted to ensure that all components and processes at the terminal are checked and re-checked to ensure smooth transit for passengers when the terminal opens for them.

Over 30 such trial sessions have been carried out in terminal 1D over four months.

“More than 11,000 trial passengers were checked-in and boarded during trial operations while the baggage handling and in-line screening system handled more than 35,000 pieces of baggage. In the last weeks before the opening of T1D,the main focus of trial operations has been on the simulation of system failures and the implementation of contingency procedures to ensure operational readiness in dealing with unforeseen events and irregularities at any given point in time,” added the official.

In addition to the transfer of airlines,the traffic routing at IGIA’s domestic terminal would also undergo a change. To make the new terminal secure,360 CCTV cameras have been installed and a special security control room has been created from where the CISF personnel will monitor the movement of every passenger.

The new terminal will have 8 entry gates from the city side,72 check-in desks and 16 self check-in kiosks for quick check-in,4 level in-line baggage system,Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) and 14 security channels,a spacious security hold area with extensive F&B,retail and recreation facilities and 15 gates for boarding buses.

Once operational,Terminal 1D will be able to cater to more than 10 million passengers per year.

“1D will increase the capacity of Delhi airport to 26 million from 13 million,” said Arun Arora,Associate Vice President,corporate communication of DIAL.

New features
* Smoking room
* Special contact zone at the city side of the terminal for minors,elderly or the physically challenged
* Inside the security hold area (SHA),special lobby for toddlers called baby care room
* Golf cart service for the transfer of passengers