Passengers are soon going to get a big relief at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). If you need to change flights between Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 3 (T3), you no longer need to leave the airport. Airport operator DIAL has sought approval from BCAS and DGCA for this. This new system is expected to start by March 2026. This will save both time and effort of passengers having connecting flights.
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What is the new ‘Airside Transfer’ plan?
Till now, passengers taking domestic to international flights have to go out of the terminal by road to go from T1 to T3. In this, security check has to be done again which takes a lot of time. Under the new plan, passengers will be transported from one terminal to another by bus only from the airside secure area.
This distance is about 8 kilometers. With the start of this new bus service, passengers will not have to come to the ‘landside’ i.e. general public area. They will reach from one terminal to another directly inside the security area. Special buses are being arranged for this.
Facility can start from March, know the rules
DIAL has applied for security clearance for this plan. Once the approval is received, this bus service will start by March 2026. Some special rules have been made for this:
Passengers will be required to have the same day boarding pass for the connecting flight. Since the buses will cross the taxiways, there will be strict security arrangements. A new system is also being worked on to transfer baggage directly from T1 to T3, so that passengers do not have to carry bags again and again.
Pier C of T3 will become the international wing.
To increase the facilities at the airport, ‘Pier C’ of Terminal 3 will be completely ready for international flights from March. Till now it was used in mixed form. This will provide more space and convenience to international passengers.
Talking about fare, the fare of airside bus service has not been announced yet. Currently the fare for landside metro feeder bus is Rs 40. Apart from this, there may also be some change in User Development Fee (UDF) for international and domestic passengers in the coming time. Airlines like Air India and Indigo are also supporting this change to make it easier for their passengers.