Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport will undergo a major expansion under a new Master Plan, raising its annual passenger-handling capacity to around 125 mn from the current 106 mn. Pradeep Panicker, president and chief executive officer of Delhi International Airport (DIAL), outlined the plan at a media roundtable on Tuesday. The overall investment is estimated at around Rs. 70 bn.

The programme will include terminal expansion, additional aircraft stands and a new Automated People Mover (APM) connecting different parts of the airport. Some elements will be implemented within the next five years, while the remaining work is scheduled to continue until 2036. Terminal 1’s capacity will rise to 45 mn passengers a year from 42 mn, while Terminal 3’s capacity will increase to around 66 mn from 50 mn.

Terminal 2 will retain capacity of around 14 mn passengers. Three additional bus gates at Terminal 1 will support its capacity increase. The expanded Terminal 3 will handle around 27 mn domestic passengers and 39 mn international passengers annually. Its works will cover aircraft stands, passenger-processing areas and baggage reclaim facilities. The airport plans to increase its equivalent aircraft stands from around 228 to 270.

A key part of the plan is a 7.3-km driverless APM, expected to become operational around 2030. It will connect Terminals 1 and 3 with the cargo area and Aerocity through six stations, taking around 13 minutes between the two terminals. Construction is expected to take about 30 months after work begins, while design work has already started and a firm construction date has not been finalised.

The APM will be located near the existing Airport Metro station at Aerocity and form part of a wider multimodal connectivity plan. Terminal passengers with valid boarding passes are not expected to pay, but fares for non-passengers and employees have not been decided. Delhi airport handled around 79 mn passengers in FY26 and is expected to handle 82 mn in FY27. DIAL is also working with government agencies on road links involving the Dwarka Expressway, Urban Extension Road and access routes near Terminal 1.