Air India flight from New York first in at T3

The newly built Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi Airport received its first visitor on Wednesday, July 14 and thus started the operations at the terminal.

An Air India Boeing from New York via Washington was the first aircraft to dock at one of the 78 aerobridges of the glass-and-steel terminal on Wednesday evening.

Earlier on July 3, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had inaugurated the terminal. Terminal 3, or T3 as the new airport building is called, is the fifth largest airport terminal in the world.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the Terminal 3, the country's latest, most modern airport, in the capital on Saturday. Terminal 3 or T3 as the new airport building is called, will also be the 5th largest airport terminal in the world.

The spanking new world-class Rs 9,000 crore airport will integrate domestic and international operations and is expected to handle 34 million passengers annually.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the Indian aviation sector has the potential to observe upto USD 120 billion of investment by 2020.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among the dignitaries present on the occasion to dedicate T3 built by GMR group backed developer Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL). (AFP Photo)

Spread over 4 kms, 80 per cent of T3 is made of glass and supported by metal frames. The nine level terminal building would be used for 90 per cent of the entire passenger movement in the airport. (PTI Photo)

Comfortable lounges, nap and shower rooms will add to passenger comfort in the airport which will have a mix of restaurants, bars, cafes and fast food outlets in around 20,000 sq mt of commercial space. (PTI Photo)

Besides three functional runways, the T3 would have, among other things, 168 check-in counters, 78 aerobridges (more than 64 in Singapore), 97 travelators and a multi-level air-conditioned car park to accommodate 4,300 cars, both first in India. (PTI Photo)

Officials of DIAL said all international carriers, operating from Delhi, would shift their operations from the existing international terminal or T2 to T3 on July 14.

On July 30-31, the operations of all full service Indian carriers, including Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher, would shift along with their low-cost wings.

The swanky T3 would also be "barrier free" to suit the requirements of passengers with "special needs or reduced mobility". (PTI Photo)