With the G20 Summit set to take place in the national capital, flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport are expected to see some disruptions on the days of the event. The presidency event will be held at the ITPO Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on September 9 and 10.
During this period, more than thousands of flights at the Delhi airport may get cancelled or rescheduled, according to a report by the Economic Times. The central government has asked airlines to curtail the flight frequency by a fourth. The decision has been taken considering the shortage of parking space at the airport premises.
A number of heads of state from different countries around the world will arrive in Delhi to take part in the G20 Summit. From US President Joe Biden to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, all of the participating members will touch down at the IGI airport ahead of the event. In this regard, more than 50 international aircraft will fly into Delhi on the same day. So, the government has asked airlines to shift some of their aircraft to other cities’ airports to avoid additional hassle.
The ET’s report said that flights at the Delhi airport will need to be lowered from 12 PM on September 7 to 12 AM the next day and from 6 PM on September 10 until 12 PM on the following day due to the fact that majority of the G20 delegates will be arriving and departing during these times. However, the airline authorities have reportedly countered the decision, citing the importance of the Delhi airport. According to them, flight cancellations will have a huge impact on the country’s air network.
Despite being India’s largest airport, the IGI currently has only around 220 parking stands at the airport premises. These get occupied quite fast when the air traffic is in surge. Things have gotten worse in recent times owing to the engine-related and bankruptcy issues of GoFirst.
In a bid to control vehicle congestion in major parts of the city, the Delhi Traffic Police has also brought out a traffic advisory in view of the rehearsals of the G20 Summit which is scheduled for August 26 and 27. In the statement, the department has mentioned restrictions on the movements of buses, cabs, autorickshaws and goods vehicles, while asking the general public to avail metro services instead of using road transport. Moreover, the entire New Delhi area will be regarded as “Controlled Zone-I” from 5 AM on September 8 till 11:59 PM on September 10.
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