Infrastructure
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. (Bharatahs/Wikipedia)
Passengers using the lounges at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport Terminal-3 (T-3) — may soon no longer have harrowing experiences caused by long queues and a shortage of seats due to a shortage of lounges in the past few months.
The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has now introduced the "Encalm Privé" business class lounge at T-3 — aiming to address these issues and enhance the overall airport experience for lounge users, as per a DIAL statement, describing the new facility as Asia’s airport largest.
Presently, the new lounge covers an area of 22,000 square feet, and upon completion, it will expand to an impressive 30,000 square feet, making it the largest lounge in India.
This addition will offer two separate lounge facilities for passengers, providing ample space and amenities to enhance their airport experience.
DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, “DIAL is committed to enhancing passenger experience at Delhi Airport. With this new lounge, Delhi Airport has significantly enhanced its lounge capacity and the quality of services and facilities. This world class lounge facility aims to provide a premium travel experience”.
As per the report, disagreements had been building up between airlines and DIAL regarding the lounge issue. While T-3 had several international airline lounges, they were closed during Covid.
The introduction of the new lounge will bring improvements to the terminal — offering amenities like a spa, fitness centre, sleeping pods, a cigar room, gaming zone, and more.
The current facilities include lounge bays, a bar, buffet, live food counters, kids' play area, library, and a business centre.
The IGI Airport, the country's largest airport, handles more than 1,500 aircraft movements daily.
Further, on 14 July, the dual elevated Eastern Cross Taxiways and the fourth runway at the Delhi airport was also inaugrated by the Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia.
With this inauguration, IGI becomes the first airport in the country to have four runways and an elevated taxiway.
The Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT), which is 2.1 km long, will reduce passengers' time on the tarmac after landing and before take-off of flights.