All flights from T1 moved to T2, T3; no cancellation on Sunday

New Delhi

SpiceJet and IndiGo, the two flight operators who operate out of the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1 (T1), said that all flight operations were moved to terminals 2 and 3 and accommodated with new slots following the collapse of the canopy at the departure forecourt of T1 following very heavy rainfall on Friday.

The flight operators said they intimated passengers of the details through SMSes and emails. In Friday’s incident, one person was killed and eight others injured, forcing closure of T1 and necessitating alternative flight arrangements.

“DIAL’s cross-functional teams are actively evaluating the situation and engaging with various stakeholders to ensure passenger safety and convenience. As the evaluation process is still ongoing, it is too early to provide specific inputs to queries. We remain committed to maintaining flight operations at T3 and T2, while operations at T1 are temporarily suspended. We appreciate the understanding and support of all stakeholders,” a spokesperson for airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) told HT.

The two airlines said that although flight timings were preponed or postponed, depending on the available slots, no flight was cancelled on Sunday, with adequate arrangements made to accommodate increased footfall. DIAL said it was working with airlines and other stakeholders to smoothen the transition.

DIAL did not give a timeline on when operations were likely to resume at T1, as they were still in the evaluation process. On Friday, in the aftermath of the incident, it formed a technical committee to look into the reason behind the collapse.

T1, before its closure, was handling up to 200 flight movements per day. Following Friday’s incident, all SpiceJet arrivals and departures were shifted to T3, while IndiGo’s T1 flights were provided slots at T2 and T3.

“There was no cancellation and although some flights were delayed on Sunday, it was not on account of the T1 roof collapse. Flights have been adjusted and provided new slots at these two terminals,” an airport official said.

In a statement, SpiceJet said, “All SpiceJet flights to or from Delhi from July 1 to 7 will operate from Terminal 3, Delhi Airport. Necessary information has been communicated to all passengers on their registered contact details (SMS/email). Passengers are requested to ensure sufficient travel time and keep a check on their flight status.”

IndiGo also said it was sharing details of the new terminals, along with a possible change in flight numbers. “It is our constant endeavour to keep the passengers aware of the movement of flights from T2 and T3, due to the closure of T1,” IndiGo said in a statement.

A spokesperson for IndiGo said no flight was cancelled on account of the shift on Sunday.

T1, at present, can handle a footfall of 20 million passengers, T2 can handle 15 million passengers and T3, up to 40 million passengers.