Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is finalising a 20-year master plan to guide long term infrastructure and operational development at Indira Gandhi International Airport, an official said. The operator expects the plan to reflect changes in the airline industry, shifts in the competitive landscape and evolving infrastructure requirements across terminals, airside and support services. The official said the document is likely to be ready in the next two to two-and-a-half months as the operator moves through planning stages.

The plan will be prepared after consultations with airport users and stakeholders and will incorporate significant updates compared with the previous master plan finalised in 2016. The airport is required to submit such a master plan every 10 years and the forthcoming plan is intended to be more dynamic to allow periodic adjustments. The official noted that airline market changes, including the exit of carriers such as GoAir and Jet Airways, have altered demand and network patterns that the plan must address.

Indira Gandhi International Airport, the country’s largest, handles over 1,300 aircraft movements daily and serves as a major aviation hub for the region. In the financial year ended March 2026 passenger traffic at the airport stood at 78.7 million (mn), slightly lower than 79.3 mn in the year-ago period, reflecting broader traffic fluctuations. Domestic traffic and international traffic stood at 57.2 mn and 21.5 mn respectively, figures that will inform capacity and service forecasts within the master plan.

Financial performance will also inform planning priorities and the profit after tax recorded by DIAL, a consortium led by the GMR Group, stood at Rs 4.769 billion (bn) in the 2025-26 fiscal after a loss in the prior year. Without disclosing detailed measures, the official said infrastructure requirements, terminal capacity, airside enhancements and commercial development will be considered in order to support projected traffic and airline needs. The operator expects to submit the revised master plan to the civil aviation ministry within the stated two to two-and-a-half month timeframe following stakeholder consultations.