Delhi airport to have common terminal for all flights

New Delhi, May 18: Delhi airport will have an integrated terminal building in coming years for domestic and international operations.

The current domestic terminal 1-B currently being used by private domestic airlines will be kept for low-cost airlines and general aviation.

The Bangalore-based GMR group, which has taken over the operations and modernisation exercise of the airport, is also preparing a master plan that includes a third runway for planes to land and takeoff.

The target is to handle 35 million passengers by 2010, more than three times the current capacity, company sources said.

A 90-day work programme has started for taking over the airport from the current management and 17 areas have been identified for an immediate makeover -- including better and cleaner toilets, additional trolleys, more restaurants and general aesthetics.

Talks are also on with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to bring its suburban service right up to the terminals before the 2010 Commonwealth Games here.

An initial public offering by GMR Infrastructure to finance the capital costs towards modernising and upgrading of the Delhi airport is also planned in July. ''We have already filed our prospectus with the regulators,'' said an official.

The GMR-led consortium -- which includes Frankfurt airport operator Fraport -- has appointed London-based Mott McDonald as lead the technical advisor for the Delhi airport, while global architects HOK will design the civil work. The consortium had won a tender earlier this year for modernising and upgrading the airport here amid stiff competition. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will hold a 26 per cent stake in the new venture.

Under an operation, maintenance and development agreement (OMDA) with the AAI, the GMR-led consortium can undertake various airport functions, such as design, development, construction and management of the airport.

A decongestion plan is also being framed under which the flight handling capacity of the airport will be upgraded to around 45 aircraft an hour from 35 at present. An online flight information service is being put in place.

''We will also eventually spruce up the duty free shops at the airport. We are in talks with the existing players and may go in for a new commercial agreement. We may also invite fresh bids from global players, said an official.

The Delhi airport currently handles some 10 million passengers -- both domestic and international -- and the plan is to upgrade it to 35 million in the first phase by 2010 and 100 million by 2035.

The consortium has pumped in Rs 200 crore of equity so far and engaged Air Services of Australia to improve operations efficiency of air traffic control (ATC).

UNI