Delhi T1 roof collapse: Govt sets up war room, directs airlines to maintain fare stability

A cab driver died after a roof collapsed at Delhi IGI Airport's T1 terminal

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu on June 28 convened a high-level review meeting after a roof at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed earlier during the day, killing one person and injuring several others.

The meeting held at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan was attended by key officials, including the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Chairman of the Airport Authority of India, Director General of Civil Aviation, among others. They discussed the ongoing crisis situation at the Delhi airport and ways to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers.

Emphasis was laid on making passenger comfort a top priority and implementing measures to handle additional stress on T2 and T3 terminals due to the closure of the T1 terminal.

Also read: Delhi Airport roof collapse: 10 things you should know

It was decided at the meeting that a 24*7 war room will be set up; it will be closely monitored by the MoCA. The war room will be tasked with ensuring that all passengers get full refund of cancelled flights or are provided with alternative travel route tickets as per availability.

All refund ought to be processed within a stipulated time of seven days. Contact details including phone numbers will be shared with passengers for immediate assistance.

The War Room Helpline numbers for IndiGo are:

7428748308 (T2 Terminal)

7428748310 (T3 Terminal)

For SpiceJet they are:

0124-4983410/ 0124-7101600 (T3 Terminal)

9711209864 (Mr Rohit)

The MoCA has additionally issued an advisory to all airlines to make sure that the situation does not lead to a steep increase in airfare; airlines have been advised to maintain fare stability to avoid passenger inconvenience.

That apart, the AAI has been directed to issue a circular to all airports to conduct a thorough structural audit. These inspections must be completed by the next 2-5 days and the reports will have to be submitted to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

Based on the report findings, decisions will be taken on the development of long-term policies and increased safety measures to prevent the recurrence of such events.

Meanwhile, structural engineers from IIT Delhi have been asked to immediately assess the situation at Delhi T1. Further examination will be done based on the initial findings.