Delhi’s IGI overhauls Mumbai as the country’s busiest airport: Patel
13 Aug 2009
New Delhi: Mumbai airport's status as the country's busiest, on account of it being the country's financial capital, took a beating with Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport reporting a higher number of passengers and flights. This was revealed by aviation minister Praful Patel today.
''Mumbai used to be, in most matters, the commercial capital of India with 40 per cent more flights than Delhi in 2004. Surprisingly, Delhi has now overtaken Mumbai in the number of flights handled,'' Patel told reporters at the Idea Exchange programme with The Indian Express.
''The new runway may be posing some inconvenience today, but the fact that Delhi has overtaken Mumbai in terms of air traffic is in itself a reflection that the Capital has grown not only in terms of airport infrastructure but also in overall economic activity,'' Patel said.
Though Delhi may be No. 1, the airport was still affected by infrastructure shortcomings, Patel conceded. The long distance an aircraft has to cover after touchdown at IGI - 9km from the new runway (29-11) to the new domestic terminal building (1D), was a great irritant not just for passengers, but also for airlines who have to burn fuel taxiing their aircraft great distances.
Patel said this issue would be resolved airport operations moved to terminal building, T3, which is under construction.
The Airports Authority of India has now decided to use the two main runways (28-10 and 29-11) in mixed mode: domestic flights use runway 28-10, which is close to domestic terminal 1D, while international flight operations take place from the new runway - 29-11.
''The new standard operating procedure has already brought down the taxiing time from 25 minutes to 15 minutes,'' Patel said. ''It is better than hovering in the air for 45 minutes.''
However, Patel said, people had ''no choice'' but to wait till April next year, when Terminal 3 was made ready.
