Jun 16, 2017: Low-cost airlines will have to take a decision mutually within a month on who will shift operations to the revamped Terminal 2 from Terminal 1 (T1) at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. The airport operator will otherwise decide on the future course of action.
This is the latest attempt by the government to break the deadlock among various airlines for shifting flight operations to Terminal 2 which will ease congestion.
IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir operate flights from T1.
"In case there is no consensus among the airlines by July 15, 2017 on the modalities for operationalising T2 and shifting operations from T1D, the airport operator will decide the suitable course of action which shall be binding on these airlines," reads a letter from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The letter was addressed to all the three airlines concerned as well as DIAL.
The letter emphasises that if airlines fail to arrive at a consensus, "all stakeholders shall comply with the decision of the airport operator".
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the joint venture firm, which runs the IGI airport, plans to expand the existing terminal to a much bigger facility. Currently the airport has two operational terminals- T1 and T3. T1 is currently handling around 24 million passengers a year, although it has a rated capacity of 20 million passengers.
Against this backdrop, DIAL wants the carriers to shift operations to the refurbished T2. International flights used to operate from T2 before the commissioning of the existing swanky Terminal 3 (T3). There have been several rounds of discussions among the airlines, DIAL and the civil aviation ministry and the latest letter follows last week's stakeholders' meeting.
Other options such as shifting some flights of all airlines operating at T1 to T2 in proportion of their respective capacity at T1, or shifting the future incremental traffic of all airlines operating at T1 to T2 or shifting some of the metro city pairs to T2, have also been mentioned in the letter.