• Delhi to have a terminal for private flights by 2020

    To streamline flight movement and cater to the demands of chartered flights in the capital, IGI Airport will have a dedicated terminal and parking bays for private planes by 2020. By consolidating general aviation — all civil aviation operations other than scheduled flight services — the new terminal seeks to provide faster access to chartered flights as well as reduce congestion in Terminal-1 from where these flights now take off.

    The airport operator, Delhi International Airport Limited, has appointed two concessionaires to develop fixed base operator (FBO) as well as world-class maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities at the new terminal that will have separate hangars and aircraft parking bays for general aviation services.

    At close to 1,250 movements each month, IGI handled close to 15,000 general aviation movements during the financial year 2016-17. “Initially, general aviation operations at the Delhi airport was unorganised and many local agencies were involved in providing such services. Hence, the services and associated infrastructures offered to general aviation operators were not at par with international standards,” said a DIAL spokesperson. The new general aviation terminal will cater to the increasing demand of non-scheduled operators, he added.

    IGI airport currently handles the maximum traffic in terms of general aviation movement and VIPs using private planes also use Terminal-1 to board a chartered flight. “The new terminal can further boost that growth by providing faster access to such flights and providing world-class facilities. Even the larger planes can then be accommodated at the IGI airport,” said Rajesh Kumar Bali, MD, Business Aircraft Operators Association.

    Besides new facilities, the terminal will let a person board a private plane within five-10 minutes of arriving at the airport, said officials from Bird ExecuJet — one of the two concessionaires at the general aviation terminal.

    “One just needs to directly enter the terminal, get the details verified and directly walk on to the plane. Earlier, this process would take close to two hours and further congest T-1. With India’s GDP rising steadily and globalisation spreading its wings, this type of aviation is becoming a necessity and not a luxury. With the upcoming fixed base operations at Delhi’s IGI, passengers will have better access to these services,” said Gaurav Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group. Mike Gartner Womens Jersey

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