New Delhi | September 10, 2026
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has begun progressively operationalising Pier C at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport for international arrivals and departures ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, increasing the airport’s international passenger-handling capacity to 31 million passengers annually once the facility is fully operational.
The repurposed pier began operations from Wednesday night, with international arrivals and departures scheduled to be handled from Thursday evening, DIAL said. The facility is being brought into service to manage the expected increase in international air traffic during the summit, which will be hosted from September 11 to 13.
The summit is expected to bring leaders and senior delegations from BRICS member and partner countries to Delhi, along with heads of international organisations and business representatives. DIAL said the phased opening of Pier C would provide additional flexibility and capacity during the event period.
“The phased operationalisation will provide additional flexibility and capacity to manage the expected increase in international movements during the summit period,” DIAL said in a statement.
The airport operator said the preparedness plan was coordinated with the Central Industrial Security Force, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, airlines, ground-handling agencies, immigration, customs and other airport stakeholders. The coordination is intended to support passenger processing, airport security and the handling of international movements during the high-profile event.
DIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker said the airport had completed preparations to receive leaders, dignitaries and international delegations. “We have undertaken comprehensive preparedness measures… to efficiently manage the anticipated increase in international traffic while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and passenger experience,” he said.
Pier C was previously used for domestic operations and has been repurposed for international traffic. DIAL had announced in April that the conversion was being carried out without new construction. The airport operator said at the time that the change would improve Terminal 3’s ability to accommodate next-generation and wide-body aircraft.
Once fully operational, the repurposed pier will raise the annual international passenger capacity at Indira Gandhi International Airport by 50% to 31 million passengers per annum, according to DIAL. The stated capacity increase relates to international passenger handling across the airport, while the facility will initially be used to provide additional operational flexibility during the summit period.
The operationalisation also places Pier C within the airport’s wider international passenger-handling system, requiring coordination among airlines, security agencies, immigration, customs and ground-handling companies. DIAL said these arrangements had been made as part of its preparations for the anticipated increase in international traffic.
The facility will handle international arrivals and departures from Thursday evening as the airport manages summit-related movements. DIAL’s phased approach and the involvement of multiple airport agencies will continue through the summit period, which ends on September 13.
