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Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Civil Aviation Minister
Parful Patel and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during the
inauguration of Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in
New Delhi.
(Photo: S.
Subramanium) |
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New Delhi:
Delhi on Saturday got a spanking new world-class Rs. 9,000 crore
airport that will integrate domestic and international operations
and is expected to handle 34 million passengers annually.
The new terminal, Terminal 3 (T3), said to be the sixth largest in
the world, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who
said the Indian aviation sector has the potential to observe upto
$120 billion of investment by 2020.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel
and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among the dignitaries
present on the occasion to dedicate T3 built by GMR group backed
developer Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).
Spread over 4 km, 80 per cent of T3 is made of glass and supported
by metal frames. The nine level terminal building would be used for
90 per cent of the entire passenger movement in the airport.
Comfortable lounges, nap and shower rooms will add to passenger
comfort in the airport which will have a mix of restaurants, bars,
cafes and fast food outlets in around 20,000 sq mt of commercial
space.
“An airport is often is the first introduction to the country. A
good airport would signal a new India, committed to join the ranks
of modern industrialised nations,” the Prime Minister said.
He said Delhi’s new airport proves the success of public-private
partnership model in execution of large infrastructure projects.
He said India should have airports that are receptive to the comfort
of passengers even as they meet the highest standards of safety.
They should employ the most modern of technologies but also exude
cultural warmth.
Noting that his government had launched a modernisation and capacity
expansion programme for major airports some years ago, he said,
“Today we see one of the successes of that initiative.
“The commissioning of this terminal will be a significant step
forward in developing Delhi as a vital hub.
It will encourage feeder traffic from the non-metro airports being
developed by the Airports Authority of India,” he said.
Besides three functional runways, the T3 would have, among other
things, 168 check-in counters, 78 aerobridges , 97 travelators and a
multi-level air-conditioned car park to accommodate 4,300 cars, both
first in India.
Praising the “impressive” new airport, UPA President Sonia Gandhi
said quality is not something to be reserved for prestigious
projects but should become “part and parcel of our design process
for all our public projects including housing and other services“.
“Providing rural and urban infrastructure efficiently and at the
same time achieving high standards must remain our goal,” she said.
Operations at the new integrated terminal would begin from the
middle of this month with Air India and all international airlines
shifting their operations from the existing terminal buildings.
Officials of DIAL said all international carriers, operating from
Delhi, would shift their operations from the existing international
terminal or T2 to T3 on July 14.
On July 30-31, the operations of all full service Indian carriers,
including Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher, would shift along
with their low-cost wings.
The swanky T3 would also be “barrier free” to suit the requirements
of passengers with “special needs or reduced mobility.”
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