DELHI: Delhi airport is expected to have an Automated People Mover (APM), or a transit system connecting all terminals, by 2030, with an estimated investment of Rs 3,500 crore, officials said on Tuesday.The APM is part of the airport’s 10-year master plan till 2036.During this period, the overall annual passenger handling capacity is projected to rise to 125 million and could go up to 129 million, news agency PTI reported.The generally driverless transit system is expected to help ease congestion in and around Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s busiest airport.Operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the airport has three terminals, T1, T2 and T3, along with four runways and an elevated cross taxiway.DIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker said the proposed inter-terminal connectivity through the APM is expected to be ready by 2030.He was briefing reporters in the national capital about the master plan.The idea of an APM has been under discussion for the past few years, and work is underway to finalise its design and other elements. Officials said the project would involve an investment of around Rs 3,500 crore.The APM will connect six stations and stretch 7.3km. Travel time between T1 and T3 will be around 13 minutes, officials said.While T2 and T3 are located close to each other, T1 is a few kilometres away. Passengers travelling between T1 and T3 currently have to use road transport to reach the respective terminals.DIAL is also awaiting approval from authorities for airside transfer of passengers from T3 to T1 by bus, PTI reported.Apart from the three passenger terminals, the APM will connect the cargo terminal and Aerocity. One of its stations will also provide connectivity to Delhi Metro lines.Officials said the APM is projected to have a ridership of 55,000 people per day in its opening year.Asked whether non-flyers would be charged for using the APM, Panicker said a decision is yet to be taken.The APM is part of the airport’s 10-year master plan till 2036, under which DIAL expects to increase the overall annual passenger handling capacity to 125 million.The earlier plan was to build an elevated-cum-at-grade system at the airport on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model to provide seamless connectivity between T1 and the other two terminals.Of the planned 125 million annual passenger handling capacity, 86 million will be domestic and 39 million international.At present, the airport has an annual passenger handling capacity of 106 million across the three terminals. T1 has a capacity of 42 million, T2 14 million and T3 50 million.At T3, the domestic capacity is 19 million and the international capacity is 31 million, PTI reported.Currently, T3 has four piers, with Piers A and B handling international operations and Piers C and D handling domestic operations. Pier C has now been converted for international operations.Pier E is scheduled to be constructed at T3 by April 2030.A pier at an airport is generally a long and narrow structure or transfer facility extending from the main terminal building, allowing passengers to use aerobridges to board aircraft.(With agency inputs)
