Project Description

Indira Gandhi International Airport

Client: Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)

L&B led the Master Plan Update for Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the primary civil aviation hub for the National Capital Region of India and the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic.

The course correction was necessitated due to the changes in the key assumptions in the previous Master Plan, resulting in a fundamental shift in the operating requirements at IGIA. These changes included higher than anticipated growth in Low Cost Carrier (LCC) and transfer traffic and change of aircraft gauge to higher density Code C and Code F aircraft.

As part of the Master Plan Update, a fresh, strategic assessment was conducted looking at options for taking forward the next phases of development so that the goals of airlines, passengers and other airport stakeholders may be realized. The development strategy was chosen by focusing on the sweating of the existing assets and improving operating efficiencies and passenger convenience through the induction of new technologies. The previous environmental assessment was also reviewed to identify any change in environmental impacts.

The Master Plan outlines an optimized road map to accommodate a demand forecast of 109 million annual passengers (MAP), 1,746,000 tonnes of air cargo and 747,780 aircraft movements in 2034. The preservation of the alignment of Runway 09-27 and maximization of airfield capacity by various ATC measures and airspace improvements stretched the capacity of the existing three runway system in a cost-efficient manner.

Similarly, terminal capacity was stretched to accommodate 109 MAP in a two-terminal precinct system by retention and expansion of Terminal 1. The existing cargo zone was retained and consolidated in its current location. The sweating of the assets resulted in a saving of over USD $1 billion of capital investment as compared to the previous Master Plan.

The Master Plan Update provides a vision for IGIA as a world class aviation facility, planned to expand in a timely manner in step with increasing traffic demand and providing high quality infrastructure, airport management systems and operational expertise. At the same time, this master plan provides solutions that are financially prudent, cost effective and commercially sound.