‘Air train’ to link IGIA terminals not before 2022

NEW DELHI: Plans to integrate an ‘air train’ at Indira Gandhi International Airport has been deferred by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which stated that work on it will not start until 2022. Air train is likely to be incorporated in the next phase of development work of IGI (Phase 3B), which will take place between 2022 and 2025.


Air train or the automated people mover (APM) project was supposed to connect all terminals of the airport, including the cargo terminal, and was aimed to improve connectivity for passengers within the airport complex, including the nearby hotel district of Aerocity, which was supposed to have a station of its own.

In total, the air train is expected to have four to five stations, which will provide connectivity with the existing Delhi Metro lines. DIAL, as part of its airport expansion plans, however, said that air train is not likely to be seen anytime soon, with better chances of incorporating it in the next phase of development.

“We have not ruled it out and it is still part of our plans. Air train will not be seen in Phase-3A of the expansion plan, which runs until 2022, but we are working on it,” GMR group’s deputy managing director, I Prabhakara Rao, told TOI.

Phase 3B, according to DIAL’s masterplan 2016 is to start from 2021 and will see work on building a brand new Terminal 4, which will be built once Terminal 2 is demolished. DIAL on Monday stated the cost of the entire Phase 3A expansion, which includes a fourth runway, an elevated cross taxiway, a new Terminal 1 and upgradation works at Terminal 3, will be around Rs 9,800 crore.

Rao said the expansion has been planned keeping in mind the dynamic changes occurring, including the requirements of more space at Terminal 3 and improved Delhi Metro connectivity. “We had kept provisions to increase space at Terminal 3 and the international-to-international passenger area will also be expanded as passenger inflow has been quite high. Similarly, we did not anticipate all terminals will have metro connectivity,” he added.