The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has asked GMR-backed Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to delay the start of the restoration work of Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) till April 2025 to ensure that construction work does not impact passenger travel during the upcoming Christmas and New Year season.
"After the construction ban to curb pollution levels in Delhi, the government has asked DIAL to start restoration work at Delhi airport after the winter and festival season," a senior government official said.
In view of the alarming air quality levels in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had implemented Stage III and Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), starting from November 11 and November 18, respectively, which included a ban on construction activity in the NCR.
The official added that MoCA was earlier considering a plan proposed by DIAL to complete Terminal-1 interior restoration by January 2025, and the work on the external side by March 2025. However, following the construction ban in the NCR, the decision to delay construction till April 2025 has been taken.
The central government had directed DIAL to get any plan for T1 approved by them, after the collapse of a canopy at the old departure forecourt of Terminal 1 (T1) at the Delhi airport in June 2024.
Emails sent to the MoCA and GMR Group remained unanswered till the time of publishing this report.
In November 2024, the GMR Group, as part of a presentation to the MoCA, had requested approvals to complete Terminal-1 interior restoration by January 2025 and the work on the external side by March.
"The ministry has asked DIAL to prioritise customer comfort and safety during the upcoming travel season, which is expected see a record number of travellers," a second government official said. He added that the government has asked both domestic airlines and airport operators to avoid a situation like last year.
Fog-triggered delays in Jan 2024
In January 2024, thousands of passengers were stranded and tempers frayed at airports across India after more than 400 flights were delayed or cancelled because of fog. More than 110 flights were delayed and nearly 80 were cancelled on the third day of disruptions. Most of these were scheduled to arrive at or leave Delhi’s IGIA . A passenger also punched an Indigo captain in the aircraft as he was making delay announcement.
On June 28, extreme rainfall and weather conditions led to the collapse of a portion of the canopy at T-1 of the airport. The debris fell on taxis parked near the entrance, leaving a 45-year-old cab driver dead. Flight operations to and from T-1 have remained suspended since then.
Taking cognisance of the incident, civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu announced a structural audit by IIT-Delhi and directed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to issue a circular to all major and minor airports to conduct a thorough inspection of their respective structural strengths.
The government had also roped in the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) to advise airport operators on the structural aspects of airports. MoCA got the safety report of IGI Airport’s Terminal-1 (T-1) roof collapse in October 2024, following which the decision to carry out restoration activity was taken.
Several airports have tied up with technical institutions for the structural safety audit. For instance, National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar, is assisting the local Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport, and IIT-Delhi is conducting the audit on behalf of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.
The First Information Report (FIR) in the case relating to the collapse of the Terminal-1 roof at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on June 28 is in the sensitive category, sources told Moneycontrol. It has not been categorised as a heinous crime.
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