Committee formed to enhance IGIA's airside capacity (Lead)

New Delhi, April 20 : The central government on Thursday said it has constituted a committee which will work out modalities to enhance the airside capacity at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.

According to Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha, the "Flight Operations Committee" will work out the modalities for the expansion of the airside capacity or the number of air traffic movements.

"The committee will have all the stakeholders. It will meet every month to work out ways in which the capacity can be increased. We are looking at expanding the airside capacity by 10 per cent per schedule," Sinha said.

The ministry envisaged that the committee would facilitate close cooperation among various stakeholders including air traffic control, airlines and airport operator to increase the capacity.

Currently, the peak airside capacity at Delhi's IGI airport, which has three functional runways, stands at 67 movements per hour.

The minister pointed out that capacity is being planned to be increased from the current 67 to 95 movements per hour at peak time in the next three years. 

The capacity is expected to rise by 10 per cent to around 72 to 73 movements per hour by the end of 2017.

Sinha elaborated that with the increase in airside capacity, it is expected that the passenger movement at the IGI airport would also rise from the current 60 million to about 90 million annually.

On the expansion of terminal passenger handling capacity, the minister disclosed plans to shift operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, after which capacity at Terminal 1 will be expanded. The plans also includes construction of a Terminal 4. 

Besides, the ministry will soon come out with a new master plan for expansion of airside and terminal capacity at the airport.