In a significant incident highlighting concerns about the infrastructure at Delhi airport , a large portion of the roof at Terminal 1 collapsed after a heavy rainstorm early on June 28. The accident resulted in one fatality and eight injuries, according to the airport administration.
In response, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced that the ministry will conduct inspections at other airports to prevent similar incidents. He emphasized that the ministry is taking the incident seriously and will reassess the structural integrity of airports with similar designs across the country. Naidu mentioned the possibility of establishing an internal body for these inspections.
War room
On Friday evening, the ministry announced it will set up a war room to manage full refunds for canceled flights and assist affected passengers with alternative travel arrangements in the next few days.
The Airports Authority of India has been instructed to issue a circular to all major and minor airports, mandating thorough inspections of structural integrity.
Delhi airport , the largest and busiest in India, handles approximately 20% of the country’s total domestic and international traffic. During the fiscal year 2023-2024 (April-March), the airport managed 73.7 million passengers, an increase of 12.8% from the previous year.
With three terminals, Delhi airport can accommodate around 104 million passengers annually. Terminal 1, the site of the incident, is the oldest terminal, formerly known as Palam terminal. It was initially the sole terminal for both domestic and international flights in Delhi.
In January 2006, a GMR group-led consortium won a bid to operate, manage, and develop Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) for an initial term of 30 years, extendable by another 30 years. This consortium subsequently commissioned the construction of a new domestic departure terminal.