T3 domestic operations put off, infrastructure not ready

NEW DELHI - The domestic flight operations at the Terminal 3 (T3) of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here have been delayed at least till Sep 15 as basic infrastructure like power and water supply is still not in place, the government said Friday.

A team of officials led by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Thursday evening reviewed the preparedness of various stakeholders for effecting transition of domestic operations to IGI’s T3.

It found a 220 KVA sub-station, which was to be commissioned by July 31, would be ready only by the middle of September.

“Presently, the quality of power supply is erratic which is affecting the sophisticated baggage handling and security equipments at the Terminal 3,” the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.

To meet the extra electricity requirement for the domestic operations from T3, the power sub-station is necessary to be commissioned.

“It was also observed that the Delhi Jal Board has not been able to provide the supply of three million litres per day of water to the airport which it had committed earlier as per its requirement. The water supply continues to be erratic and much less than the required amount,” the statement added.

The shift from Terminal 1A & 1D (barring the three stand-alone low cost carriers) to T3 was earlier planned for Aug 27, the full service of Indian carriers — Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines including JetLite and Kingfisher Red — was supposed to shift domestic operations to T3.

Another pending project is construction of an alternate road connecting the present domestic side of the airport to T3. This road is expected to ease traffic congestion as right now there is only one approach to T3 from NH-8.

The Metro line connecting T3 to central Delhi also is not ready. It is likely to become operational only in mid-September.

“Due to these factors, and most importantly, to ensure that the domestic passengers are not inconvenienced in any manner because of shifting of operations to T3, the ministry has decided to hold the shifting of operations in abeyance,” said the statement.

The minister will review the position mid-September, following which a decision will be taken on the date for shifting domestic operations to T3, it said.