IGI Airport Terminal 3 Pier C to remain unused as passenger traffic drops

The newly converted international Pier C at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 3 is set to remain idle until September or October due to a sharp drop in passenger traffic, which has been partly impacted by the opening of the Noida Airport on June 15. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) had completed the conversion of the pier from domestic to international to handle booming foreign travel, but final approvals in late June arrived after passenger numbers had already plummeted.

Average daily passenger traffic at the airport has fallen by 35,000 to 40,000. This includes a drop of 10,000 to 15,000 international passengers, with the remainder affecting domestic traffic. Previously, the airport handled an average of 2.2 lakh passengers daily, including 1.6 lakh domestic passengers across Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and 60,000 international passengers at Terminal 3. Currently, the airport sees an average of 1,300 flights daily, down from nearly 1,550 during the G20 days.

The decline in international flights by carriers such as IndiGo, the Air India group, and foreign airlines is largely attributed to the US-Iran war, which has driven up oil prices and caused the rupee to crash. Additionally, the closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian carriers for nearly 15 months following Operation Sindoor has forced western routes to become longer and more expensive. Air India also reduced its international flights following the Ahmedabad crash in June 2025.

While waiting for traffic to recover, DIAL is preparing Pier C for future operations. The airport operator has instructed all airport shop franchisees to complete their fitments by September.

Domestic air travel is expected to pick up in late August with the start of the festive season, beginning with Raksha Bandhan. Meanwhile, more international flights are anticipated to resume when the winter airline schedule begins on October 25.