Delhi Domestic Terminal 1D snippets

Delhiites will have to wait for a few more days before they are able to use to the new departure terminal 1D. The terminal will be made operational in two phases, starting reportedly on April 11. A few minutes after midnight on the earmarked dates, the entire operations of the airlines that will be shifting to the new terminal will be transferred from the old one. All airlines from the old departure terminal 1B, with the exception of GoAir, will move to 1D and will be joined by Kingfisher Airlines from terminal 1A. GoAir will take Kingfisher’s place in 1A. According to sources, the first phase of shifting will have only Jet Airways and Jetlite move to the new terminal. A week later, when the airlines would have settled down in the new space and all operations would have stabilised, the other airlines will also be shifted. The proposed date for the second phase is April 18. Sources said that the last departure from the old terminals is around 10.30 pm, so airlines will have close to six hours to move base to 1D before the first flight will take off just before 5am. ‘‘Shifting at the IGI Airport will not be very difficult since the three terminals are almost side by side. In other cities, where the new airport is far from the old one, shifting operations can be a nightmare,’’ said a DIAL official. The shifting of airlines from one terminal to the other is a highly complex procedure and a team from Munich Airport has been assisting the developers Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd (DIAL) with the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT). Over the past several months, several trials have been carried out to check the working of procedures and familiarise airlines and security staff with the new terminal. ‘‘Over 30 trial sessions have already been carried out in T1D over the last four months that include trials for baggage check-in, trials with mock passengers starting with a limited number and gradually increasing to more than 600 passengers per hour. The mock passengers also include unaccompanied minors, elderly and those who require special assistance such as wheelchairs and stretchers,’’ said a DIAL spokesperson. According to statistics, more than 10,000 mock passengers have been part of these trials, through 400 simulated flights. Over 32,000 bags were screened during the trials, some of which also contained banned or suspicious articles to test the efficiency of the in-line baggage handling system. Personnel from all airlines, ground-handling agencies, security agencies and DIAL staff were part of these trials so that they could get used to the new terminal operations. The new terminal will have a smoking room, a baby care room, wi-fi services, kids playing area and an entertainment zone among other things.