The GMR-led consortium that is modernising the Delhi airport will invest in Rs.7,000 crore in the project by March 2010 with a targeted capacity of handling 37 million passengers per year.

The consortium is currently building a terminal near the existing domestic terminal in Delhi at an investment of Rs.400 crore with a passenger capacity of 10 million a year. The terminal spread over a built-up area of 75,000 sq.ft will be operational by 2008.

The interim airport terminal, which will be called 1C, will be linked to existing domestic arrival terminal and the terminal operated by Indian Airlines. After completion of airport by 2010, this terminal complex will be converted into a low-cost airport and the new building will be an integrated domestic and international airport.

The existing 1B terminal, from where private carriers operate currently, will be removed completely and a new cargo complex will be developed and once the new airport becomes operational, the existing international terminal will also be discontinued.

Work on the two new terminals will begin in January 2007 once the government approves the master plan submitted by the GMR consortium. The consortium will also build a new 4.4 km runway. Work on the new runway is likely to commence in March 2007 with completion scheduled for March 2008. The Delhi airport will have two primary runways and one parallel runway.

Also See:

Delhi international airport: Major contracts by early 2007 (05-Oct-06)