Delhi airport and the Civil Aviation Ministry have come up with a 4-point plan to decongest the airport.
After a flood of complaints on social media from commuters who had to navigate through long queues and huge delays in checking-in at the Delhi airport, Union aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, along with senior ministry officials, today reached the airport for a check. In visuals, he could be seen interacting with airport authority officials and security personnel.
Mr Scindia said he has instructed the authorities to regulate the movement of passengers afresh at the gate where there is more crowd, and to deploy "special officers" at every gate.
Security checks are another issue. Today, we have given instructions to increase the security from 13 lines to 16 lines. By the end of this month, we will try to start three new lines. We have taken this decision together, with all the stakeholders," he said, while speaking to the media at the entrance of the airport.
The pressure on the airport system should reduce in the next 10 to 15 days, he further said, adding that they took several decisions by meeting with the stakeholders last week.
"We have to start a new service delivery system as the number of passengers after the Covid pandemic has increased a lot," he said.
Several passengers continued to experience long waiting hours at the Delhi airport on Sunday. Many took to social media and also shared pictures of the crowd at Terminal 3 (T3) of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).
In response to a tweet by a passenger, Delhi airport had said that it has deployed officials on the ground to assist the passengers and minimise any inconvenience.
While complaining about the long queues, the passenger said there is need for new terminals.
"Please be assured that passenger experience is paramount for us, and we always strive to enhance our flyers experience. Also, we have duly noted the remarks and have shared it with the concerned agency. Further, you may also share your direct feedback with CISF headquarters...," Delhi airport had said in the tweet.
Delhi airport and the Civil Aviation Ministry have also come up with a four-point plan to decongest the airport amid complaints of overcrowding and long queues during check-in. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met officials earlier this week.
X-ray screening systems will be enhanced, he reserve lounge will be demolished and one Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS) machine and two standard X-ray machines will be installed, two entry points - Gate 1A and Gate 8B - will be converted for passenger use, and to de-bunch flights, airlines will work progressively reduce peak hour departures.
IGIA, the country's largest airport, has three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3.
All international flights as well as some domestic services operate from T3.
On an average, it handles around 1.90 lakh passengers and about 1,200 flights daily.