Finally, new terminal opens at IGI

New Delhi: Passengers travelling out of Delhi on Kingfisher and Indigo airlines on Sunday got a taste of what awaits all passengers by 2010. The
new domestic departure terminal, 1D, finally became operational and, barring a few hiccups, was well received by passengers.
The swank terminal is a far cry from the over-crowded 1B ^ spacious, also because only three airlines are operating at present, and well-lit. There were a few teething troubles in the morning, when several passengers first ended up at the old departure terminal and had to be guided to the ramp from where they could access 1D. Similarly, many passengers headed for the old terminal also managed to get to 1D.
``There was a sign at the beginning that pointed this way for the departures. I'm not a Delhiite and didn't know that the airport had changed so much. I had to catch a Jetlite flight but accidentally came here. Now I'll have to go back to 1B,'' said Vinod Khetarpal, a businessman.
Several more airlines will shift to terminal 1D in the next few days as the old 1B shuts down. For the next year or so, domestic flights will depart from terminals 1A and 1D.
Since many signages in front of the entry gates had also not been put up, there was a lot of confusion on which passengers were to enter from where. Another passenger, who checked-in three hours before his flight was to take off, complained that it was extremely hot in the check-in area. ``The area where we had queued up to get our boarding passes was almost claustrophobic as the AC didn't seem to be working. It was extremely hot and I had to wait almost three hours before boarding my flight at 8.45 pm,'' said Atul Goel, a resident of Bangalore.
Autos were also not permitted on the ramp and passengers travelling by the three-wheelers had to travel to the lower level from where they took the elevator up to the terminal.
20/04/09 Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Apr 2009