Delhi airport to get India’s first air train by 2027 for seamless terminal connectivity, BA

Transiting between Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 & T2 on one side and T1 on the other will finally be a breeze before the end of calendar year 2027. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has issued the tender to built an air train or automated people mover (APM) that will have four stops — T2/3, T1, Aerocity and cargo city.

The GMR-backed DIAL has given the alignment for this 7.7-km route. Once ready, trudging by DTC buses between these two distant terminals from city side will be a thing of the past. Sources say the airport operator is likely to get bids for what will India’s first air train at an airport, in Oct and November.

The winning bidder will be decided based on the cost quoted by different parties and whether they offer a revenue share model or seek viability gap funding for the project. “If all goes well, contract will be awarded before the end of this fiscal. Work will then begin and it is targeted to be over before end of CY 2027. That is what has been conveyed to the Union aviation ministry by DIAL,” say sources.

The tender document says: “DIAL proposes to implement an elevated cum at-grade APM system at Delhi International Airport on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model. The APM system is intended to provide reliable, fast and seamless connectivity between T1 and T3/2 spanning route length of around 7.7 km via Aerocity and Cargo city.

In addition to providing required connectivity between terminals, APM system will enhance passenger convenience, improve ASQ score and reduce carbon footprint.” The aviation ministry in Modi 2.0 had told DIAL it will not allow levy of any development fees to fund this project before the same is ready.

While the cost of IGIA air train is not known as the same has been left for bidders to evaluate and quote accordingly, the same could be under INR 2,000 crore, say sources.

Govt had earlier also asked DIAL to drop its plan for six stops on the proposed air train as the same would have been “too long with higher connecting time between T1 and T2/3.” “DIAL’s model for having so many stops, including two at Aerocity, will not only mean higher travel time between T1 and T2/3 but also require foolproof security at the non-terminal stops,” a senior Govt official had said last Nov when that plan was discussed.
Delhi Airport — India’s busiest hub handles over 7 crore passengers annually at present and is doubling its capacity to over 13 crore within the next 6-8 years — desperately needs the air train. It is estimated 25 per cent travelers at IGIA will be transit flyers, hence the need for ensuring seamless transfers between T1 and T3/2. There is no way these volumes can be handled without an air train between terminals.

Air trains globally are free to use for passengers to ensure seamless transit between terminals. However, the cost of augmenting airport infra is recovered through two means — AERA deciding aeronautical charges for airlines like landing and parking fees who accordingly decide fares; and through UDF on passengers.

The UDF charged at Mumbai Airport, for instance, used to have a metro component of INR 20 and INR 120 per domestic and international departure respectively. This component was levied from 2016 to February 2023 to raise INR 518 crore for metro connectivity and was stopped when that target sum was raised.