Serpentine queues await travellers at IGI airport ahead of Independence Day
T1 to open in a phased manner from Aug 17; audit report from IIT-D pending
Image used for representative purpose only
| Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
Long and serpentine security queues at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport awaited air travellers on Wednesday (August 14) as the long weekend rush coincided with extra security measures for the Independence Day celebrations on Thursday.
Some passengers complained about spending “three to four hours” in security queues, and shared images of waiting time on display screens of up to 266 minutes at Terminal 3.
Airport security sources said the waiting time on an average was 50 minutes for security check. Airport and security personnel said the long queues were due to additional security measures because of I-Day.
“We would like to apprise you that security measures at Delhi Airport have been strengthened ahead of Independence Day. As a result, the security check procedure is taking more time,“ the airport responded on X to passenger complaints.
Wednesday was the second day in a row that passengers were seen complaining about the massive rush at the airport.
Meanwhile, a section of the Terminal 1 (T1) passenger building at IGI that was shut after a roof collapsed in June-end killing one person, will be re-opened in a phased manner beginning August 17 when SpiceJet will shift back 13 of its flights. IndiGo will return 34 of its flights from September 2 to T1. These flights had been moved to Terminal 2 and 3 after a heavy downpour caused a canopy in the forecourt area to collapse.
The T1 has been partially opened after approval from the Central Industrial Security Force, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, as well as the Larsen & Toubro that built the new section.
Officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that while the new section of the T1 that was inaugurated in March is being re-opened, the older section will be cordoned off and remain inaccessible as an audit by a technical team from IIT-Delhi was underway.
The section of the forecourt canopy at the entrance of T1 that collapsed also remains cordoned off.
Another Ministry official said that IIT-Delhi team is expected to submit its report in the cause of the roof collapse in the next “three to four days”, following which they will submit another report on the possible solutions.
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