Terminal-3 begins operations today

Passengers of Air India’s flight (AI-102) from New York will be the first aircraft to arrive at the world’s sixth largest airport, when its commercial operations begin. Air India’s Jaipur-Delhi-Dubai flight (IC-895) will be the first flight to takeoff from here. AI-102 will arrive at T3 at 4.45 pm while IC-895 will leave for Dubai at 6.50 pm. 

Check-in for the first departing flight (IC-895) from T3 will begin at 2.50 pm. All facilities like food and beverage counters, shops and other facilities will also start functioning on Wednesday.  

The airport operator, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), has put up signages and deployed a battery of volunteers to help and guide the passengers to T3.
On the first day of the operations, around 90 flights will operate from T3, of which about 50 will be foreign airlines. Domestic airlines will operate from the new terminal from August 27.

Though the terminal was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 3, DIAL had pushed back the operation date by a fortnight to provide more time to all stakeholders to deal with any glitches, including setting up of airline offices, synchronising security procedures, baggage handling and the whole range of airport operations.

“The airlines have brought all equipment to start operations and their personnel have already been trained. They just need a ‘system changeover’ from Terminal 2 to T3,” said a senior airport official said.

DIAL will run shuttle services for the passengers between existing T2 and T3. The new terminal will provide seamless connectivity to the international and domestic passengers with world class experience, after three full service carriers—Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher—also shift their domestic operations from August 27.

While airport officials claim it will not take more than 45 minutes for passengers to move from the entrance to the boarding gate, airline sources say it will be better for them to reach the airport well in advance as they may encounter glitches on the massive new terminal on the first-day of operations.

“Trial runs have been held but this is the first time so many flights will operate from the terminal. To enable passengers to see the new terminal or spend some time at the duty free, check-in counters will open four hours before departure for their convenience,” said an airline official.