New Delhi: The full-scale commercial operations at the swanky new integrated terminal 3 (T3) of the IGI airport here will begin from Wednesday with all airlines shifting their operations and the Air India flight from New York will be the first to arrive.
"The airlines would shift their operations to T3 from 2 pm onwards. We have chosen Wednesday to shift from T2 to T3, because on this day there are least number of flights between 2 pm and 7.30 pm," Andrew Harrison, Chief Operating Officer, DIAL, said.
Passengers of Air India's flight (AI-102) from JFK New York would be the first to arrive at the world's sixth largest airport, when its commercial operations begin, he said, adding Air India's Jaipur-Delhi-Dubai flight (IC-895) would be the first flight to take-off from here.
AI-102 will arrive at T3 at 1645 hours while IC-895 would depart for Dubai at 1850 hours.
On Wednesday, all the international flights would arrive at T2 till 1645 hours, but after the departure of Gulf Air flight (GF-135) to Bahrain at 1805 hours, all the operations at T2 will be shifted to the new terminal.
"Check-in for the first departing flight (IC-895) from T3 would begin from 1450 hours and, all the facilities like food and beverage counters, shops and other facilities would also start functioning from tomorrow itself," Harrison said.
He said that DIAL has put up signages and deployed a battery of volunteers to help and guide the passengers to T3.Apart from it, DIAL would be running the shuttle services for the passengers between T2 and T3.
He also assured that T3 would provide seamless connectivity to the international and domestic passengers with world class experience, after three full service carriers , Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher will also shift their domestic operations from August 27.
"It will be a hub like the airports in Dubai, Changi in Singapore, from where passengers like to fly to other destinations, as T3 would truly transform the experience of those travelling to and from India," he added.
On the first day of the operations, around 90 flights would operate from T3, of which around 50 would be foreign airlines.
DIAL had pushed back the operation date of T3, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 3, by a fortnight to provide more time to all stakeholders to deal with any glitches, including setting up of airline offices, synchronising security procedures, baggage handling and the whole range of airport operations. PTI
