SpiceJet ready to shift part of its operations to Delhi's Terminal 2

DIAL has asked three airlines to shift operations from T1D to T2 to carry out expansion work

SpiceJet is willing to shift part of its operations from Delhi's domestic terminal T1D to T2 so that the airport operator can undertake modernisation work.

The airport operator GMR-led Delhi International Airport (DIAL) has asked IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir to shift operations from Terminal-1 (T1D) they currently operate so that the expansion work of the terminal can begin.

"We are willing to shift our operations to Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru, provided we get more time to undertake the process," said SpiceJet CMD Ajay Singh.

Singh felt the time given to undertake the process was too less. "One has to realign all the flights that has is connected to these three cities, we need some time for that operation," he said. DIAL Chief Executive Officer Prabhakara Rao wrote to the heads of the three airlines that as there was no consensus between them over who would shift, all three would have to partly shift operations from February 15.

"After careful consideration, it has been decided that flights operating to BOM (Mumbai), BLR (Bengaluru) and CCU (Kolkata) of all three airlines will be shifted to Terminal-2 from February 15 and accordingly, all resources will be allocated to T2," Rao wrote. 

The letter has been addressed to IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh and GoAir CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer. While earlier, DIAL had asked SpiceJet and GoAir to shift operations, both the airlines refused to accept the demand terming that as a preferential treatment to IndiGo- the largest carrier by fleet size and market share. 

IndiGo had earlier said that they will oppose the proposal of split domestic operations citing passenger inconvenience. "We will support any effort to make things better without splitting our domestic operations in Delhi and creating inconvenience for our customers," an IndiGo spokesperson had told this paper on January 20. 

On January 30, Times of India reported citing sources said that the airline is willing to shift to Terminal 2 provided that it is exclusively provided to IndiGo. Singh also said that split operations will not impact the on-time performance of the airline. 

"It happens in many places across the world, it will not have any impact," he said. According to the master plan of expansion, T1's area would be increased to 133,000 sqm from 53,000 sqm, and it would be able to handle 23 million passengers. Ten aerobridges would be constructed and the number of boarding gates would be increased from eight to 25. Carriers would be shifted to Terminal 1 after the expansion.