Haj terminal at Delhi airport upgraded

New Delhi : With a bunch of added conveniences for pilgrims, the Haj Terminal at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will start operations for this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca on Thursday. With over 900 passengers expected to fly every day for the next 18 days, the first flight from Delhi is expected to take off at 3:30 pm from the Haj Terminal, which has undergone a facelift this year.
“The Haj terminal is ready to welcome pilgrims going to Mecca with a new look and enhanced facilities,” said Arun Behal, Head (Haj Terminal), Delhi International Airport (P) Limited. He also mentioned that the terminal would facilitate only Haj pilgrims at the moment and no decision regarding the use of the terminal for normal operations, once the pilgrimage is over, has been taken yet.
In March this year, the GMR-led consortium had asked for the unused Haj terminal to be brought into play as a means of easing the pressure on existing facilities at the international airport. While IGI is the only airport in India to have an exclusive permanent facility for Haj passengers, the terminal opens for operations only during two months in a year. DIAL has carried out an extensive renovation programme this year to upgrade facilities at the Haj Terminal.
While the canopy outside the terminal has been extended and provided with weather protection, a dedicated area has been provided for visiting friends and family of the pilgrims.
29/10/08 Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Oct 2008