In overcrowded airport, Haj terminal remains unused for 10 months

New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator and the private developer in charge of modernising the international airport here seem to have washed their hands off a plan to make better use of the upgraded Haj terminal for the 10 months it lies unused every year.
While the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) says the developer has to take a decision as to how it intended to utilise the Haj terminal in the off-season, the latter - Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) - says it is yet to give the issue a thought.
The Haj terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is currently being used exclusively for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah and Medina, the holiest cities of Islam in Saudi Arabia.
The terminal, which came into existence in December 1999, has recently been given a major facelift. Operations at the upgraded terminal began Oct 30 and pilgrims will be using it till the end of December.
After that, the terminal will remain unused for 10 months till the pilgrims begin to use it again next year from around the end of October. The multi-use plan was to use the terminal during this period, especially to accommodate the increasing passenger load at the existing international terminal.
The IGIA is currently straining at the seams as it was built to cater to 12 million passengers a year, while the current flow at 24 million passengers is double that.
02/11/08 IANS/SINDH TODAY, Pakistan

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Categories: Airports Nov 2008