Delhi Airport T3 International Capacity To Jump 50% As Pier C Shifts To Global Ops
The move is expected to significantly increase international passenger handling capacity of the terminal: Reports
NEW DELHI: Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Friday announced that Pier C at Terminal 3 will now handle international operations from the first week of May. Earlier, Pier C was used for domestic flight operations. The move is expected to significantly increase international passenger handling capacity of the terminal.
DIAL said with the conversion of Pier C, Delhi Airport’s international passenger handling capacity will rise by around 50 per cent, translating to an additional 10 million passengers per annum (MPPA). This will take Terminal 3’s total international capacity to 30–32 MPPA, positioning the airport well to serve growing international traffic in the years ahead.
“Pier C has been an integral part of Terminal 3 since the terminal’s inception. Through careful planning, it has been repurposed from domestic to international operations, seamlessly integrating with the existing terminal infrastructure,” DIAL said.
Speaking on the development, CEO DIAL, Mr. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, “This conversion strengthens Delhi Airport’s ability to support long-haul connectivity, airlines’ expansion plans and India’s ambition to be a global aviation hub.”
With the conversion of Pier C, DIAL has also introduced key upgrades to enhance departure and arrival efficiency and reduce waiting times at critical touchpoints. These include 12 new Self‑Baggage Drop (SBD) counters, helping improve check‑in efficiency by around 10%, which will take the number of SBDs in T3 to 26, 20 emigration counters, including Trusted Traveller Programme (TTP) counters, Five Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS) lanes and dual‑view X‑BIS machines for faster security screening, 16 boarding gates converted for international operations, 40 additional Bureau of Immigration (BOI) counters in arrivals, three new escalators and four lifts to facilitate smoother passenger and goods movement.
The conversion of Pier C also strengthens airside operations by improving stand availability and gate allocation for international flights. With 16 Code‑C stands and associated gates, the pier will support faster aircraft turnarounds and greater operational flexibility, contributing to more reliable on‑time performance.
“Importantly, Pier C enhances Delhi Airport’s readiness for wide‑body and next‑generation aircraft, including the A350, increasing wide‑body stand availability for international operations by around 40 per cent. This aligns closely with the fleet expansion plans of both Indian and international carriers as long‑haul and ultra‑long‑haul travel continue to grow,” DIAL said.
