Delhi airport gets 4th runway, elevated cross taxiways

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Civil Aviation Minister, dedicated the fourth runway and raised dual Eastern Cross Taxiways at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Friday.

The inauguration is an important milestone in the Phase 3A extension project of Delhi Airport, the country’s busiest airport. As a result, Delhi Airport is now India’s only airport with four operating runways.

The new runway, which spans 4.4 kilometers and runs parallel to the third runway (11/29) on the southern side, is an essential component of the Delhi International Airport Limited’s Phase 3A development project.

The fourth runway will help handle increased air traffic and, when combined with the dual Elevated Cross Taxiways (ECT), will greatly reduce carbon emissions. This advancement is consistent with Delhi Airport’s goal of being a “Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.”

The ECT will also aid in the reduction of around 55,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is comparable to growing approximately 15 lakh trees. Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed his happiness with the completion of this critical expansion project during his inauguration speech.

He emphasized the necessity of modernizing and improving infrastructure to satisfy the growing demand for air travel, which will help the aviation sector and the nation’s economy expand.

“India is at an inflection point in her long history of civil aviation. Under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today civil aviation is a key enabler in the rise of the country’s economic power.

“India is aiming high, it is aiming to touch the sky. Delhi Airport under the vision of the GMR Group is creating new crests. From about 70 mn passengers per year as the biggest airport in India, the Delhi Airport will soon become one of the largest airports in the world at 109 mn passengers per year,” he said.