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IGIA, New Delhi's Terminal 3 to have 78 aerobridges to support A-380 aircraft

According to an IANS report, New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Terminal 3, to be opened on July 3, 2010, will have 78 aerobridges, 63 elevators, nearly 35 escalators and 92 automatic walkways. The new terminal has been built with an investment of USD 2.8 billion. The aerobridges at the terminal have been designed to support the A-380 aircraft, touted as the largest such machine for commercial aviation.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) officials mentioned that Shinmaywa of Japan and ThyssenKrupp of Germany were assigned the task to build 78 aerobridges. These have been constructed within a span of two-and-a-half years. The aerobridges are designed to handle 600 passengers an hour. The present international terminal at IGIA has only ten aerobridges, one escalator and no automatic walkway.

Multiple aircraft ramp systems have also been integrated to accommodate larger aircraft like Boeing 747, 777 and A340. According to DIAL officials, three gateways are dedicated for use by A380 aircraft with three aerobridges. In addition, six contact parking gateways and three remote parking gateways can also be used to cater to this large aircraft.

“The A380 has double deck configuration and a sizeable passenger load. It requires special aerobridges to allow fast embarkation and disembarkation. This is necessary to ensure turnaround times. This facility is going to be used for the first time in India,” said an official involved with the project.

“It is estimated that over 90 per cent of passengers at Terminal 3 will be serviced through the 78 aerobridges that have been built. It is notable that Terminal 3 will have the most number of aerobridges in the world at a single terminal of this size. Only the Changi Airport in Singapore comes close with 64 aerobridges,” stated a senior DIAL official.

Led by Bangalore-based infrastructure major GMR Group, DIAL is a joint venture among Airports Authority of India (AAI), Fraport of Germany and Malaysian Airport Holdings. The airport authorities have designed the airport for both domestic and international passengers