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After a gap of more than six months, Delhi Airport’s Terminal 2 will resume operations, starting 1 October.
In a statement on 28 September, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced that a part of domestic operations will shift to Terminal 2 from Terminal 3, which was the only part of the airport that was functioning amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Why exactly is Terminal 2 reopening? Which airlines will operate from the terminal? Read on.
Which airlines will be operating from Delhi’s Terminal 2?
GoAir and IndiGo will initially be operating flights from Terminal 2. While the former will fully shift its operations to Terminal 2, the latter will shift a part of 105 flights to the same.
Flights to 20 destinations will fly from the terminal, including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Kochi, Guwahati, Indore, Jammu, Lucknow, Chennai, Patna, Srinagar, Trivandrum, among others.
How are the airport authorities planning to maintain sanitization?
Deep cleaning of 45,000 square meter Terminal 2 is carried out 24*7, reported News18. A team of 162 housekeeping personnel have been deployed to ensure a clean and sanitized terminal for passengers round the clock.
The staff will be thermally screened and checked for symptoms before they undertake duties.
Why has this decision been taken?
With airlines increasing the number of flights operated from 33 percent, more space is required to accommodate passengers in accordance to social distancing norms.
Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, President and Chief Operating Officer, IndiGo told The Indian Express, “We are working very closely with the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to shift nearly half of our domestic operations from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 at IGI Airport. As the capacities grow, operations from Terminal 2 will also allow adequate space to maintain social distancing guidelines while providing a safe and hassle-free travel experience.”
What are the general precautions to be followed within the airport?
I land in Delhi’s Terminal 3 from Chennai but have a connecting flight from Terminal 2. How do I transfer?
You can take the airport bus services for transfer. The Delhi Airport has said that Arrival forecourt has been revamped with the pathway, connecting T2 and T3, widened for transfer passengers and airport express line passengers.
Buggy services will be available for people with reduced mobility (PRM) and senior citizens commuting between the two terminals.
Why have airlines scaled up the number of flights?
Earlier in September, the government allowed airlines to operate up to 60 percent of the pre-Covid capacity compared with 45 per cent earlier. The government estimates that the domestic passenger traffic will reach half of the pre-Covid numbers by Diwali.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and News18)
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