Rising demand drives Delhi airport’s plan to expand handling capacity by 18%

Delhi airport is preparing for its next phase of growth with a proposal to increase annual passenger handling capacity by nearly 18 per cent, reflecting rising travel demand and long-term expectations for passenger traffic growth.

According to PTI, citing a source familiar with the matter, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) plans to raise the annual capacity of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to 125 million passengers, up from the current 106 million, under a proposed master plan extending to 2036.

The plan remains under consultation and will be finalised after discussions with stakeholders, the source told PTI.

Expansion roadmap targets 125 million passengers

The proposed expansion will be implemented in phases.

Under the first phase, annual passenger handling capacity is expected to increase to 116 million by April 2030. Capacity would then rise further to 125 million by 2032, according to the source.

At present, Delhi airport's annual passenger handling capacity stands at 106 million passengers across its three terminals.

Current terminal-wise capacity includes:

• Terminal 1 (T1): 42 million passengers annually
• Terminal 2 (T2): 14 million passengers annually
• Terminal 3 (T3): 50 million passengers annually

Delhi airport is India's largest airport by passenger traffic and is operated by a GMR Group-led consortium through DIAL.

New Pier E planned at Terminal 3

A key element of the proposed expansion is the construction of Pier E at Terminal 3, which is expected to add capacity for 10 million passengers annually.

According to the source cited by PTI, the facility is targeted for completion by April 2030.

Terminal 3 currently serves both domestic and international passengers and remains the airport's only terminal handling international flight operations.

The terminal presently has four piers:

• Pier A and Pier B serve international operations
• Pier C and Pier D serve domestic operations

The source said Pier C has now been converted for international operations, reflecting growing international traffic requirements.

At present, T3's total capacity is divided between:

• 19 million domestic passengers
• 31 million international passengers

Airport piers connect terminal buildings to aircraft stands and enable passenger boarding through aerobridges.

Long-term provisions remain under consideration

While capacity expansion has been outlined, decisions on some future infrastructure projects remain pending.

According to the source, the proposed master plan will reserve a 7.5-kilometre right of way for an Automated People Mover (APM) system. However, there are currently no immediate plans to construct the project.

The APM was previously envisaged as an elevated and at-grade transport system designed to improve connectivity between T1, T2 and T3.

Similarly, no decision has been taken on developing Terminal 4.

The source told PTI that future passenger growth would determine whether additional terminal infrastructure becomes necessary. One option under consideration is the conversion of T2 into T4 if capacity requirements increase over time.

Passenger growth underpins expansion plans

The proposed expansion comes as passenger traffic continues to rise at Delhi airport.

According to traffic data shared by DIAL, the airport handled 6 million passengers in July, representing a 3.7 per cent increase compared with the same month last year.

During the first four months of the current financial year 2026-27, passenger traffic reached 26.4 million travellers.

The steady growth in passenger volumes is reinforcing the need for additional infrastructure and capacity enhancements as India's aviation sector continues to expand.