Asia's largest runway, high-speed rail link for Delhi airport

At 4,430 metres, Asia's largest runway will make the Delhi airport the first in the country with the capability of handling A-380, the largest aircraft in the world.

Under the revised master plan submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which is working on the project, will ready the third runway by 2008 and develop a new integrated two-tier terminal building (Terminal 3) to handle both international and domestic passengers.

All this will need an investment of Rs 6,703 crore in the next four years.

With an eye on the 2010 Commonwealth Games, DIAL will augment the airport's annual passenger handling capacity from 16.24 million to 37 million. A new high-speed rail link from Connaught Place, which will reduce the journey time to 19 minutes, will also be ready before the games.

Terminal 3, to be made operational by 2008, will include a multi-level parking for 4,300 cars, new aircraft hangers, a power station, and improved general aviation facilities.

Shrinivas Bommidala, managing director, DIAL said, "With Commonwealth Games in focus, we want to elevate Delhi airport into the league of Frankfurt, Dubai and Singapore airports. After working out the details for 11 months, we have submitted the master plan to the Ministry of Civil Aviation."

Terminal 3 building will have around 153 check-in counters, including 23 for self check-in, 40 X-ray scanners, 74 immigration desks for international passengers, 55 contact stands (aerobridges) and 30 remote parking bays.

Around 90 per cent of all passenger traffic at Terminal 3 would be handled via aerobridges by 2010, an official said.

A 380 will have six dedicated aerobridges. Access to the new terminal will be via a 6-lane road connecting to NH8 (Delhi-Jaipur highway).

The existing international terminal will also be upgraded by 2008. Giving emphasis to revenue-generating non-aeronautical services, the new terminal will have a large number of duty free shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and a range of leisure facilities with the capacity to handle 100 million passengers per annum.

By 2010, all international and full service domestic carriers will operate from Terminal 3, while Terminal 1 will be developed as an exclusive terminal for low-cost carriers. In subsequent stages, the low-cost carriers will also move to the new terminal complex, according to the plan.

The master plan has been designed in consultation with Moff McDonald, a leading management, engineering and development consultancy and HOK, world-renowned airport architects based in the UK.