Delhi Airport Proposes 'Air Train' Service Linking Terminals 1 And 3 By 2027

Taking a bus to travel between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 at Delhi Airport could soon become a thing of the past if plans to build an air train between the two points come to fruition. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has issued a tender for building an air train which will include four stops: T2/3, T1, Aerocity and Cargo City. The operator hopes to have the service in place by the end of 2027.

Automated people movers (APM) are small-scale automated transit systems that are used in places like airports, downtown districts and theme parks. Also known as “sky trains” at airports, their primary goal is to reduce the time it takes for passengers to transfer between terminals, making the process smoother—particularly for those on connecting flights.

The Delhi Airport APM service will cover a 7.7 kilometre route and will eliminate the need for reliance on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses for terminal transfers. DIAL will reportedly start accepting bids for the project in October-November 2024. The winning bid will need to be cost-effective, with bidders have to propose revenue-sharing models or seek viability gap funding. If all matters are finalised, the contract will be awarded before the end of the fiscal year. Sources are hopeful that the construction will likely be completed by the end of 2027, as the said timeline has also been communicated to the Union Aviation Ministry, to ensure that the project stays on track.  

For such bidding, the development of an advanced state-of-the-art APM system has been summarised. It will use the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model when the service becomes operational. Not only this, the proposed APM service will also significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the airport, thereby helping DIAL improve its Airport Service Quality (ASQ) score.

In previous discussions, the government emphasised that no development fees would be levied on passengers to fund the project before its completion. While the exact cost of the air train is yet to be determined by the bidders, estimates suggest it could be around INR 2,000 crore. Initially, DIAL had proposed six stops for the air train. However, the government requested a reduction to four stops to minimise transit time between T1 and T3/T2, as more stops would increase both travel time and the need for security at non-terminal stations.

Delhi Airport currently handles over 70 million passengers annually, which will likely increase to more than 130 million over the next six to eight years. A significant percentage of these passengers are expected to be transit flyers, which will make the air train essential for smooth terminal transfers. As per global standards, air trains are usually free for passengers. It's likely that Delhi Airport will also follow suit, wherein costs will be recovered through aeronautical charges and user development fees (UDF), as seen in other airports like Mumbai.

(With inputs from multiple news sources)