The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has witnessed significant growth, driven by rising demand and infrastructure expansion. Between January and December 2024, the airport handled approximately 78 million passengers, including 57 million domestic passengers and 21 million international passengers. During the same period, the cargo shipped through the airport stood at around 1.1 million tonnes, with 70 per cent coming from international shipments. Moreover, total air traffic movements reached approximately 0.48 million, with 0.36 million domestic and 0.12 million international movements.
To meet the rising passenger demand, Terminal 1 (T1) of the airport was inaugurated in March 2024, and it is expected to be fully operational by April 2025. Further, IGI Airport became India’s first airport to be connected to 150 destinations, of which around 70 are international. This positions it ahead of most of its Southeast Asian counterparts, enhancing connectivity with North America
and Europe.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has prioritised improving the energy and operational efficiency of the airport by implementing several technological and sustainability initiatives. These efforts have led to a more than 57 per cent reduction in power consumption per passenger since 2010. At a recent Indian Infrastructure conference, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, Chief Executive Officer, DIAL, highlighted the key sustainability and technological advancements at IGI Airport. Edited excerpts…
Implementing advanced technology
To improve operational efficiency and passenger experience, DIAL has deployed various advanced technologies, including the airport operations centre (APOC), biometric self-immigration kiosks and an internet of things (IoT)-based vehicle tracking system.
“In 2024, IGI Airport became Asia’s first airport to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.”
APOC
APOC is considered the future of airport handling, representing the next level of the airport operations control centre. It helps monitor airport performance and improve operational efficiencies. APOC tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) across different processes including terminals, airside, cityside, security, airport systems and social media. Some of these processes are already integrated with APOC, such as terminal operations and security, while airside movements have been partially operationalised. The cityside processes are currently being integrated, and airport systems are also being linked to APOC. Further, social media integration is in progress.
A key advantage of APOC is its ability to predict queue wait times using artificial intelligence (AI). By analysing historical data from the Xovis passenger tracking system used by IGI, which tracks wait times at various touchpoints, APOC helps resolve operational challenges pre-emptively. This data-driven approach enables better resource management and reduces passenger wait times. For example, during peak times at immigration, APOC allows the airport to shift staff between departure and arrival areas to optimise resources. As a result, DIAL has achieved a 25 per cent reduction in wait times at T3 security of IGI Airport between September 2024 and February 2025. The system has reached around 90 per cent accuracy.
APOC has also enhanced asset utilisation by improving parking stand allocation for aircraft. DIAL is planning to implement predictive arrival management using the Unified Total Airside Management system to better position ground service equipment (GSE) in real time, thereby improving overall efficiency.
First-time traveller biometric self-immigration kiosks
This initiative, led by IGI Airport, aims to streamline immigration processes. Foreign passport holders, especially those holding e-visas, often experience delays at immigration counters due to the need for biometric data capture. To address this, biometric kiosks have been set up at international arrival piers, particularly for first-time travellers, to reduce processing time. These kiosks enable quick and secure facial and fingerprint scanning, expediting immigration processing. Currently, over 1,500 average daily users are being registered at these kiosks, resulting in a 50 per cent reduction in processing time. The immigration department has requested an increase in the number of kiosks, originally implemented as a proof of concept, with 10 currently in operation and another 10 planned for the future.
IoT-based vehicle tracking system
DIAL has implemented an IoT-based vehicle tracking system to monitor vehicles on airport premises, both airside and cityside. The vehicles are fitted with GPS-based IoT sensors, which provide fleet management information. Various KPIs are monitored through this technology. For example, a geofence has been implemented for all vehicles, which issues alerts in case of higher speeds or deviations from the designated route. Other KPIs monitored are first ignition on, last ignition off, total kilometres travelled, travel path for the day and idle time, etc. This system is planned for further expansion to include all airside vehicles, thereby improving airport security.
Sustainability initiatives
IGI Airport has emerged as a global leader in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. In August 2024, it became Asia’s first airport to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, significantly ahead of its initial 2030 commitment. Additionally, IGI airport became the first airport in the world in the 40 million plus passengers per annum category to reach this milestone. The airport’s renewable energy initiatives include 100 per cent reliance on green energy via hydro and solar power. This includes the installation of a 13.1 MW solar on-site power plant, a 7.8 MW solar power plant in the airside area and a 120 MW power purchase agreement with hydropower plants. Further, IGI Airport has achieved 100 per cent adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and developed requisite charging infrastructure.
A major development to achieve savings and operational efficiency has been the construction of the Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT). Previously, the northern and southern sides of the airfield were connected only by the Western Cross Taxiway. This resulted in longer taxiing times for the aircraft during easterly flows, which Delhi experiences 30-35 per cent of the time. According to DIAL’s estimates, the ECT has saved 55,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and has provided airlines with fuel savings of over Rs 1.5 billion per year. DIAL has also set up its own material recovery facility, helping IGI become a zero-waste landfill airport. Additionally, it has installed over 650 rainwater harvesting plants, making IGI a water-positive airport.
Mitigating Scope 3 emissions
The Scope 3 net zero commitment for IGI Airport is set for 2050 and significant efforts are being made in this direction. DIAL has partnered with various agencies to study sustainable aviation fuel and has participated in inter-ministerial discussions regarding the same. It is also working on improving the Airport Collaborative Decision-Making (A-CDM) system to enhance efficiency across all airport stakeholders. For multimodal connectivity, IGI Airport already offers metro connectivity, with around 15 per cent of the total passengers using metro services and another 10 per cent relying on public transport. This is expected to improve further, with works in progress for the extension of Delhi Metro Phase IV, connecting T1 and T3 with metro services. Further, IGI became the first airport in the world to commercially introduce TaxiBots. While improvements can be made in terms of speed, this technology has helped DIAL achieve a significant reduction in Scope 3 emissions. Approximately 630-750 kg of carbon dioxide emissions have been eliminated with the implementation of this technology.
DIAL is also utilising bridge-mounted equipment on all personal boarding bridges at T3, with utilisation close to 90 per cent. This equipment has now been deployed at T1 as well, helping reduce auxiliary power unit costs and lowering the airport’s overall carbon footprint. Going forward, DIAL plans to electrify GSEs and increase the use of EVs.
Capacity enhancements
Delhi, with its good geographical location, has seen strong growth in passenger volumes, supported by a robust aviation ecosystem. Passenger volume is projected to reach 140 million by 2035 at IGI Airport, growing at a CAGR of 6 per cent from 2023 to 2035. DIAL aims to increase the capacity of IGI Airport to a total of 100 million passengers, following the completion of Phase 3A. This includes 80 million domestic and 20 million international passengers. Further, international traffic is expected to surpass the current capacity of 20 million. In order to create additional international capacity, a domestic pier at T3 is being converted to handle international flights. After this pier conversion, international capacity will reach around 30 million while domestic capacity will be at 70 million. Furthermore, in 2028, a new pier will be added at T3 to increase the domestic capacity by 10 million. With this expansion, by 2029, the overall domestic capacity is expected to reach 80 million and international capacity is expected to reach 30 million, which will help handle the increased demand.
“By 2029, the overall domestic capacity is expected to reach 80 million and international capacity 30 million, which will help handle the increased demand.”
