Indira Gandhi Airport set to start operations on fourth runway from July 13

Delhi Airport will soon start its fourth runway - Runway 29 Right and 11 Left' (29R/11L), which will commence operations on July 13. It will become the only airport in India with four runways

The long-awaited fourth runway, named 'Runway 29 Right and 11 Left' (29R/11L), of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), will commence operations on July 13. According to a Times of India report, the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed the dates.

The fourth runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport will enhance the hosting facility for domestic and international flights in the National Capital. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said, initially, the runway will be used for departure purposes only.

The DIAL further said that once the fourth runway gets operational, they will close the main runway between terminals 1 and 3 and the closest to the Shivaji statue for repair purposes.

If everything goes well, then IGIA will have all four runways functioning within a year, which will increase its capacity to 100 flights an hour.

In 2016, Delhi Airport ranked 9th among the world's ten busiest airports, as it handles 5.9 crore people annually.

IGIA become the only airport in India with four runways

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a trained Air Trained Traffic Controller (ATC) to manage the operations on the new runway. 

Delhi Airport will become the first Indian airport with four runways. With this fourth runway, IGI will soon become the world's busiest airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also stated that IGIA can soon become the world's largest airport with the ongoing expansion of the airport. It can even surpass Atlanta Airport in terms of passenger capacity and become one of the world's biggest airports.

"The Delhi airport caters to 70 million passengers, which will likely go till 109 million by the end of this year. It is the only Indian airport with three runways, and the fourth one will likely become operational in September," Scindia added.