Delhi airport capacity is set to increase 18% to 12.5 crore passengers annually by the end of 2029, but the proposed air train connecting the airport’s terminals and Aerocity has been delayed until December 2030, according to Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Pradeep Panicker.
The expansion is part of the final phase of GMR Group’s first 30-year concession period for Indira Gandhi International Airport, which ends in 2036. DIAL plans to invest about Rs 3,000 crore to raise the airport’s overall annual capacity from the current 10.6 crore passengers per annum (CPA) to 12.5 CPA.
Domestic capacity across Terminals 1, 2 and 3 is expected to rise 15%, from 7.5 CPA to 8.6 CPA. International capacity at Terminal 3 is projected to increase 26%, from 3.1 CPA to 3.9 CPA. The largest terminal expansion will be at T3, where a new domestic Pier E is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029 at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore.
The new pier will operate alongside Pier D. DIAL also plans to increase Terminal 1’s capacity through additional check-in and security counters and other infrastructure changes. T2’s capacity is expected to remain unchanged at 1.4 CPA. The airport is also considering swing gates that can handle both domestic and international flights, allowing infrastructure to be used more flexibly.
After the proposed changes, T3’s total projected capacity is expected to reach 6.6 CPA by the end of 2029, compared with its current capacity of 5 CPA. T1 is projected to rise from 4.2 CPA to 4.5 CPA, while T2 will remain at 1.4 CPA. The airport’s cargo facilities and Aerocity are also expected to continue expanding.
However, passenger movement between the terminals and Aerocity will not receive the planned air-train connection within the earlier proposed timeline. The Rs 3,500-crore system, intended to provide transfers between T1 and T3 and T2 as well as Aerocity, is now expected to be operational only by December 2030 instead of 2029. “Work on its design is on,” Panicker said, according to the report.
The delay means that the airport’s terminal capacity is scheduled to grow before its dedicated internal mass-transit link is available. DIAL said the air train would address transfers between T1, located on one side of the airport, and T2 and T3 on the other, along with connections to the expanding Aerocity district.
Road access is also planned to be upgraded. The airport’s main access road is expected to be widened to six to eight lanes in each direction, while the T3 ramp will be expanded at both departure and arrival levels. DIAL said it was engaging with various authorities on road expansion and a multimodal transport system for the airport.
The longer-term redevelopment of the airport is expected to begin during GMR’s second 30-year concession period, starting in 2036. This phase is likely to involve demolishing the 1986-era Terminal 2 and constructing a larger Terminal 4 in its place.
The expansion plans are also being shaped by the development of Noida Airport. Its initial annual capacity is expected to be 1.2 crore passengers, with the potential to rise to 3 crore by 2030 depending on traffic growth. The report said this projected capacity has affected IGIA’s expansion plans. GMR won the IGIA concession in 2006 under a public-private partnership for an initial 30-year period, extendable by another 30 years.
