New Delhi: The scheduled dates for shifting of international and domestic operations to the new integrated Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport have been postponed as the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has decided to conduct nine ‘terminal process proving flights’ on July 14 and 15.
These will be part of the last leg of operational readiness and airport transfer tests at the new terminal. "The operational readiness tests conducted so far have been a simulation of the processes and facilities using mock passengers and dummy baggage. The proving flights, on the other hand, will enable all stakeholders to perform their functions in actual operations with real passengers," a DIAL spokesperson said.
Under the new schedule, all international operations will shift base from Terminal 2 on July 28, instead of July 15. Domestic operations, on the other hand, would move from Terminal 1D on August 27, instead of July 31.
So far, airport stakeholders have performed 13 basic trials, 33 advanced trials and 10 air taxi simulation trials, which have enabled simulation involving 50,000 mock passengers and 80,000 bags. In order to incorporate lessons and fill up on deficiencies from the real time tests on operation of `proving flights', the airport operator has decided to postpone commercial operations.
As one of the 'proving flights', Emirates Airlines is all set to land the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus 380, at Terminal 3 on July 15. Landing on India's longest and A-380 compatible Runway 29-11, the jumbo bird would make its way to T3, which is equipped with aerobridges that can handle the large number of passengers arriving or departing on the double-decker aircraft.
According to DIAL officials, the proving flights will give the last opportunity to all stakeholders, including airlines, ground handlers, aviation oil companies, flight caterers, Air Traffic Control (ATC), concessionaires, duty-free shops, airport operator, statutory agencies like Immigration, Customs and CISF to carry out their functions in the complete turnaround of an actual flight out of an airport terminal so vast in size.
Emirates has commissioned a special commercial service of the 517-seat A380 to be one of the proving flights before the actual commercial operations start at T3. The A380 will operate EK516 on the Dubai-Delhi route on July 15, to arrive at Delhi by 2.50 pm. The aircraft will be at the IGI Airport for three hours before it returns to Dubai as EK517 departing Delhi at 5.50 pm.
Bookings for the special Emirates flight opened on Tuesday with the offering of special return fare of Rs 9,990 plus taxes, the spokesperson of the Dubai-based airline said. The A-380 has 517 seats, inclusive of 14 flat-bed First Class suites, 76 fully-flat seats in the Business Class, 427 comfortably contoured seats in the Economy spread across four cabins on the lower deck, a statement issued by Emirates said.
