Lok Sabha Question No. 3646 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Chaos at Delhi Airport
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: P. Velusamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3646 (To be answered on the 10 th  August 2023)

## CHAOS AT DELHI AIRPORT

3646. SHRI VELUSAMY P.

## Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether Delhi Airport faced chaos and confusion in checking in for the passengers and reporting time was increased to three hours instead of two hours and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to ease the problem faced by the passengers;
- (c) the estimated passenger handling time during 2023 in view of the G-20
- summit; and
- (d) the estimated time for completion of Terminal 3A and the benefits of this expansion?

## ANSWER

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD))

- (a) to (b): IGI Airport, New Delhi had witnessed longer waiting time at various points in passenger processing due to an increase in the number of air travelers on account of seasonal variation in travel. A number of measures have since been taken and with continuous monitoring and augmentation of capacity at IGI Airport, Delhi the situation has improved. A number of measures/steps have since been taken to decongest the Major Airports including Delhi and Mumbai. These are as follows:-
- i. Additional Traffic Marshals have been posted at the departure forecourt to avoid vehicular congestion.
- ii. Board displaying least waiting time along with the entry gate number has been put up at vantage points to guide passengers in advance.
- iii. Display Board Display screens have been installed at entry gates, Security Naka to inform passengers on real time waiting at gates. Waiting time also being put on Social Media. Real time waiting time data link shared with airlines.
- iv.  Air  travelers are encouraged to use DigiYatra, a Biometric Enabled
- Seamless Travel experience based on Facial Recognition Technology. Inflight announcement to encourage usage of Digi Yatra platform are being made. v. Digiyatra has been fully implemented at T3 and T2. There are 15 lanes and 10 lanes at entry points on T3 and T2 respectively. At Security Check point, DigiYatra is available in all 6 zones and all 3 zones of T3 and T2 respectively. vi. Additional Entry Gates created at T3. vii. Additional 15 X-BIS machines have been added taking the total number of X-ray machines to 25 in T-3 Domestic and 19 in T-3 International. viii.  Check-in infrastructure in T3- 28 counters added in July,2023.Self Baggage drop facility operationalized in July,2023. ix. Awareness poster at the entry gate for passengers to be ready with Air ticket/ Boarding pass and Identity proof document. Dedicated staff has been deployed at the entry gate to help passengers.
- x. New security zone- Zone 0 has been created inside the Terminal 3.
- xi. Deployment of additional manpower by CISF has been ensured.
- xii. Monitoring through CCTV & Command Centre.
- xiii. Use of Count Meter for Crowd Management.
- xiv.  Airport operator has been advised to re-balance peak hour traffic
- between terminals by shifting slots to optimise flights during peak hours. xv. Airlines have been advised to deploy sufficient manpower at all checkin/baggage drop counters.
- xvi.  Incoming  international  passengers  are  encouraged  to  fill  the Disembarkation cards onboard. Manpower is being deployed by airport operators at disembarkation points to assist passengers to fill the form.

xvii. 2D Bar code scanner has been installed at all the Entry Gates to facilitate automated entry.

- xviii. Airlines have been advised to have full compliance to Barcode on tickets issued, to help easy flow of passengers at entry/security gates.
- xix. Monitoring on daily basis at level of airport operator, airlines and Ministry of Civil Aviation for ensuring compliance of mitigation measures. All these  measures  are  implemented  with  the  utmost  consideration  for maintaining  airport  security.

(c): Based on waiting times for July, 2023, it is expected that the waiting time at security and immigration check points will be around 10 minutes in coming months.

d): IGIA is currently under Phase 3A of its expansion. Phase 3A works include expansion of the existing terminals and apron, rehabilitation of an old runway and Construction of 4th Runway (11L-29R) and its connections to parallel taxiways, eastern cross taxiway (ECT), northern parallel taxiway and various other airside, Landside developments for circulation and connectivity improvements and Terminal 3 modification works. The ECT and 4th runway has been completed and are in operation. Current physical progress of Phase 3A project stands at 92.83% as on 31st July 2023.

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