IndiGo, the country's largest carrier, expects its A350s to start operations in 2027. Delhi is the country's largest airport and also the largest hub for IndiGo, so it is a no-brainer that the A350s will be based there.
However, it has a small challenge. Delhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 is the sole terminal that handles international operations, and IndiGo currently operates from all the terminals, with international operations solely from Terminal 3 as mandated. Unlike the Tata group of airlines, which are all under the same roof at Terminal 3, IndiGo’s scattered operations not only mean higher operational costs and unfavourable connection times.
If plans made by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) fructify, this is all set to change by 2027, when it envisions an automated people mover to be in place connecting Terminal 1 with Terminal 2 and 3, along with stops at Aerocity and Cargo city.
When this is operationalised, it will help passengers move away from the rickety Delhi Transport buses, which are inconvenient at the moment. The airport operator had earlier put forth various options, some of which were shot down.
When complete, this option may not be similar to what global hubs like Singapore or Frankfurt have—a seamless transition within the security hold sterile area—but it would nonetheless be faster than what it is today and help make the airport more attractive for transfers.
This means that Delhi Airport will get into construction mode again, having come out of capacity expansion to 100 million only recently, facilitating construction and revamp of the new Terminal 1, where it has now installed contact peers. With terminals scattered across the airport, the minimum connection time (MCT), a part of the attraction for quick connections, varies from case to case and makes connections challenging.
Over the years, IndiGo has moved from being a point-to-point carrier to not just a hub and spoke model and has interline and codeshare arrangements, helping international carriers offer connectivity beyond major points like Delhi. The challenge, though, is for flights which arrive at T1 from where it is a painful task to make way to T3. This involves waiting for a Delhi Transport Corporation bus or arranging private transport that takes a circuitous route and often ends up in traffic snarls.
The automated people movement (APM) facility will ensure commercial break even as it would also have stops at Aero City -- soon to host large malls and office spaces–along with the cargo terminal, which has large footfalls of employees and is hitherto not connected by any other mode.
In FY19-20, Delhi Airport saw 3.56 million Air India passengers use the airport for transfers. IndiGo, which was much smaller then, saw 6.28 million transfer passengers in Delhi. Air India’s passenger throughput was 11.05 million in Delhi in FY 19-20, while that of IndiGo was 17.97 million passengers. The COVID years have not seen any significant numbers for transfer passengers as two years were governed by an air bubble and restricted flights. The competition from Noida International Airport at Jewar, which is being housed under a single roof, is an added catalyst for Delhi Airport to invest in this, irrespective of capital investments coming in from the government.
The development is a blessing for IndiGo and looks more like a tacit understanding, which was in place before the A350s were ordered. Building a hub without efficient transfers is never a good idea and IndiGo for sure knew about the challenges. With the APM, it can offer better connections and have more one-stops on offer. The APM is well-timed for IndiGo’s A350 induction.
For Delhi airport, it has been at the receiving end of terminal shifting plans, with matters even ending up in legal disputes. As it plans for next phases—involving either building of Terminal 4 or converting Terminal 2 to international again–connectivity between terminals will be handy to ensure that airlines can be swapped easily amongst terminals without impacting either airlines or passengers.
The last wall standing now is having immigration and customs services across terminals, where both domestic and international services can be handled, similar to Terminal 3 in Delhi or Terminal 2 in Mumbai.
