New Delhi, March 1: New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport one of the most popular airports in the world and this popularity is exceeding with each passing day. Due to this, the flight movements is set to go beyond 1,500 flights per day by May, a top Delhi International Airport executive said. Currently, the busiest airport handles 1,324 flight movements on an average daily.

According to the airport executive, reports the Financial Express, the airport operator is undertaking high-intensity runway operation, which could increase current aircraft movements by 15% to 1515 each day. IGI Airport in Delhi Likely to Charge Fliers For Check-In Baggage Screening From February 1. 

Briefing more about it at the CII Aviation Conclave 2019, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, “We have got capacity constraint on both air side and terminal side. Currently, 25% of Delhi’s air space is a no-fly zone due to VIP areas, Hindon airbase. We are training the ATC (air traffic controller) for the high-intensity runaway operation to tackle air side capacity constraint. The target is to increase our capacity by 200 flight movements in the next one-two months.”

It is to be known that Delhi’s IGI is the 16th busiest airport in the world and has handled 58.3 million passengers in FY19 so far. Since, several airlines face slot constraints, the GMR-owned IGI airport is scheduled to undertake airport expansion work in the coming months. The expansion includes construction of a new runway and taxiways in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 of the airport. The DIAL is also expecting to complete the expansion work in the 38 months.

Informing more, Jaipuriar said, as the daily quoted, “Our terminal side rated capacity is 66 million passengers per annum (mppa). With some debottlenecking, we have taken it to 70 mppa. We don’t expect terminal to be ready in the next three years. Till that time we are exploring ways to maintain high passenger service quality.” The operator expects that after the expansion, the airport would be able to handle 85 mppa.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2019 11:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).