Delhi International Airport first in India to get 4 runways, elevated taxiway

Delhi International Airport, also known as the Indira Gandhi International Airport has become the first airport in India to get four runways and an elevated taxiway. The fourth runway and the dual Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) became operational at the Delhi Airport on Friday and was inaugurated by Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation along with Ret. Gen. V K Singh, MoS, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

A ceremonial water cannon salute was accorded to an Air India Flight AI 821 from Delhi to Srinagar to mark the operationalisation of the fourth runway.

The development of the new runway, along with the expansion of terminals will increase the capacity, which is expected to have an annual passenger handling strength of 109 million in the near future. Currently, the capacity is 70 million passengers per year, and Scindia emphasised that Delhi airport will even beat Atlanta airport in its capabilities.

The Atlanta International Airport in the United States is the world's largest airport, in terms of passenger capacity.

He further said the country's civil aviation sector is at an inflection point and the beginning of the growth phase. Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) handles around 1,500 aircraft movements every day and the fourth runway will result in the airport being able to handle more flights.

It will increase the capacity throughput from the current level of 1,400 to 1,5000 aircraft movements to almost 2,000, Scindia said at the inauguration of the fourth runway and the ECT. Air travel demand is on the rise and in June, domestic air passenger traffic rose nearly 19 per cent year-on-year to around 1.25 crore.