 "Delhi Airport T3 opens first retail liquor store for domestic passengers")
The Delhi government’s excise department has granted a licence to the Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store Ltd to open a retail liquor store in the arrival area of Terminal-3 at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. This development marks the first L-10 liquor store of its kind at the airport under the current excise regime.
The newly established store offers a self-service, walk-in experience across a 750 square feet area. Customers can independently select from a wide range of national and international liquor brands registered with the excise department.
The store will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unlike other retail liquor shops in Delhi, which are only open from 10 am to 10 pm.
Previously, only duty-free liquor stores catering to international travellers operated at Terminal-3 of Delhi Airport. With the opening of this new store, domestic travellers and the airport’s large workforce now have access to a retail liquor outlet.
To assist customers, a comparative rate chart displaying liquor prices in different parts of the country will be shown on LED screens within the store. The store supports various payment methods, including UPI, credit cards, and debit cards.
Strategic importance of liquor store in domestic travel
The strategic placement of the L-10 liquor store at Terminal-3 not only serves the substantial number of passengers and staff at the commercial hub of the airport but also addresses a previously unserved area near the Haryana-Delhi border. Additionally, it aims to curb the illegal supply of non-duty-paid liquor from neighbouring states.
As earlier reported by Business Standard, Terminal 1 is also expected to open a liquor shop in its departure area sometime later.
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Previously, under the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, six premium liquor shops were operational in the airport’s domestic terminals. However, these shops were closed in September 2022 when the government withdrew the controversial excise policy amid investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
Regulations on carrying alcohol on domestic flights
Domestic passengers are permitted to carry up to five litres of alcoholic drinks, with an alcohol content of less than 70 per cent, across state borders. For beverages with an alcohol content of 24 per cent or less by volume, this five-litre limit does not apply.
The new retail liquor store at IGI Airport’s Terminal-3 is set to serve a wide range of customers, providing convenience and potentially reducing the illegal supply of liquor from neighbouring states. The initiative underscores the Delhi government's efforts to enhance services and regulatory compliance at one of India’s busiest airports.