New Delhi: Come autumn and Delhi will become the first Indian city to have an integrated domestic-cum-international terminal exclusively for low-cost carriers (LCC), like London's Stanstead. The GMR-backed Delhi airport management has decided to have customs and immigration facilities at terminal 1D in the next four to five months.
While the aim is to make Terminal 1D fit for international operations in time for the biggest Indian LCC, Indi-Go, to launch international flights from here by September or October, the terminal is all set to grow bigger by 2013. "At the current rate of traffic growth, we estimate that the 1D-1C (arrival) combine will be able to handle budget fliers for the next two years. Beyond that we will restart terminal 1A by integrating 1A-D-C and create a big LCC hub," said a senior airport official.
Interestingly, the decision to allow LCCs to operate international and domestic flights from the budget terminal 1 hub is causing heartburn to full service airlines. "People flying in and out of T3 feel they have to walk long distances at the new terminal. While the fare difference between LCCs and us is not significant, many people choose budget fliers simply because they can fly out of 1D where they don't need to walk long. Now, we will face a similar disadvantage for foreign destinations too where LCCs will start flying," said a senior official of a full service airline.
24/05/11 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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