Delhi airport operator DIAL awaits BCAS nod for airside transfer of passenger baggage from T1 to T3

Soon, passengers landing at Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport might not have to carry their checked-in baggage for a connecting flight from Terminal 3 as the airport operator plans to ensure the baggage transfer through the airside.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is awaiting approval for the proposal regarding the airside transfer of checked-in baggage of passengers between T1 and T3 from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), according to officials in the know.

Similarly, airside baggage transfer from T3 to T1 for international flight passengers will also be considered, the officials said.

At the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), international flights are operated from T3, while T1 and T2 are for domestic flights.

Currently, passengers landing at T1 have to carry their checked-in baggage to T3 for the connecting flight.

Once the system of airside transfer of the checked-in baggage is in place, the passengers will not be required to carry them while taking a connecting flight from T3.

In the case of an international flight passenger landing at T3 and then taking a domestic flight from T1, modalities will be worked out, as the baggage has to be cleared by customs.

One of the officials quoted above said that a Proof of Concept (PoC) is being worked out so that, after customs clearance, the baggage can be dropped at T1.

T1 and T3 of the Delhi airport are slightly away from each other and passengers travel between the terminals by road.

The airport, having a passenger handling capacity of 100 to 105 million, has three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3.

The expanded T1 is expected to be operational in June.

As part of upgrading the airport infrastructure, DIAL, a consortium led by the GMR Group, plans to have an Automated People Mover (APM) or an air train for passengers for seamless transit between the three terminals.

Air passenger traffic is on the rise, and airlines are also expanding their fleet as well as networks to meet the rising demand.