New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- Delhi airport expects to have the Automated People Mover (APM) or the transit system connecting all the terminals by 2030, with an estimated investment of Rs 3,500 crore, officials said on Tuesday.

The APM is part of the airport's ten-year master plan till 2036 and during this period, the overall annual passenger handling capacity is projected to rise to 125 million, which can even go up to 129 million.

APM, which is generally a driverless transit system that can ferry people from one point to another, will help in easing the congestion in and around the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), which is also the country's busiest airport.

Operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the airport has three terminals - T1, T2 and T3 - and four runways as well as an elevated cross taxiway.

DIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker on Tuesday said the proposed inter-terminal connectivity through APM is expected to be ready by 2030, briefing reporters in the national capital about the master plan.

The idea of APM has been in discussions for the past few years and the work is in progress in terms of finalising the design and other elements. Officials said APM would be set up with an investment of around Rs 3,500 crore.

The APM, which will connect six stations, will stretch 7.3 kilometres and the travel time between T1 and T3 will be around 13 minutes, the officials said.

While T2 and T3 are close by, T1 is a few kilometres away and currently, passengers who want to take a flight from T1 after landing at T3 or vice versa have to go by road to reach either of the terminals. Meanwhile, DIAL is awaiting approval from the authorities for airside transfer of passengers from T3 to T1 by bus.

Apart from the three passenger terminals, the APM will also connect the cargo terminal and Aerocity, and through one of the stations, people can connect with the Delhi Metro lines. They also said the APM is projected to have a ridership of 55,000 people per day in the opening year. A decision on charges for non-flyers using the APM is pending. DIAL plans to raise airport capacity to 125 million passengers, including 86 million domestic and 39 million international.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.