New terminal for private jets to come up at IGI: DIAL

The airport operator -- Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) -- has planned to build a new domestic departure terminal or the general aviation terminal after demolishing the decommissioned World-War II era terminal 1B (T1B).

DIAL has decommissioned T1B from May 13 after all the airlines shifted their operations to the swanky new domestic departure terminal (T1D), built at a cost of Rs 500 crore.

"After decommissioning of T1B, various options are being explored. One of the options being, setting up of a dedicated general aviation terminal," a DIAL spokesperson said.

The new general aviation terminal would be built on 60-65 per cent area of the old building while the rest 35-40 per cent area would be kept for future expansion of the domestic arrival terminal (T1C), he added.

About 30 private jets and chartered flights take-off from the airport in a day. The number of such flights increases during the elections and airport authorities had to face tough times in managing the VIPs departing from the departure terminals.

Also, the country has witnessed a growth in the private jets, so a need for a general aviation terminal was felt, the spokesperson said.