Delhi airport is planning a ₹3,500 crore driverless transit system to connect its three passenger terminals, cargo facilities and Aerocity by 2030, as part of a broader expansion that could take its annual passenger handling capacity to 125 million. According to reports from ETInfra, the Automated People Mover (APM) will run across 7.3 km and connect six stations, with the journey between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 expected to take about 13 minutes. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Pradeep Panicker confirmed the inter-terminal transit system is expected to be ready by 2030, with the project forming part of the airport's 10-year master plan through 2036. The system will run on an elevated track for about 5.3 km and at grade for the remaining 2 km, with design and project elements currently being finalised while the construction start date has not yet been fixed.
Under the 2036 master plan, DIAL expects annual passenger handling capacity to rise from the current 106 million to 125 million, with the potential to reach 129 million, as reported by ETInfra. Of the planned 125 million capacity, 86 million passengers will be domestic travellers and 39 million will be international passengers. The existing capacity is spread across the three terminals, with T1 handling 42 million passengers annually, T2 14 million and T3 50 million. At T3, there is a domestic capacity of 19 million and an international capacity of 31 million. The APM is projected to carry around 55,000 passengers a day during its first year of operation, with potential ridership rising to 85,000 passengers daily. The system will provide an alternative to the existing road-based transfers between terminals, particularly for passengers travelling between T1 and T3, which are several km apart, while T2 and T3 are located closer to each other.
Delhi airport currently operates three passenger terminals and four runways, along with an elevated cross taxiway. According to ETInfra, while T2 and T3 are located close to each other, T1 is several kilometres away. Passengers arriving at one terminal and departing from another currently have to use road transport to make the transfer. DIAL is also awaiting regulatory approval for an airside bus transfer service between T3 and T1. The APM is intended to provide a dedicated link between the terminals and reduce the dependence on road transfers within the airport complex. One of the APM stations will connect with the existing Delhi Metro network at Aerocity, with the T1 and T3 stations, along with one station in Aerocity, planned close to existing Delhi Metro stations, enabling passengers and airport employees to transfer between the two systems. The system will also serve the airport's cargo facilities and Aerocity.
Terminal 3 is also set for further expansion with a new Pier E scheduled to be completed by April 2030. As reported by ETInfra, the terminal currently has four piers - Piers A and B serve international operations, while Piers C and D are used for domestic flights. Pier C has now been converted for international operations. The airport had previously considered an elevated and at-grade transit system connecting T1 with the other terminals under a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model. Meanwhile, DIAL is awaiting regulatory approval for airside bus transfers between T3 and T1. The wider expansion includes additional check-in facilities, security screening capacity, parking stands and road infrastructure to support the increased passenger volumes.
The APM will connect T1, T2 and T3, along with the airport's cargo terminal and Aerocity. According to ETInfra, one station will also provide connectivity to Delhi Metro lines. A decision has not yet been taken on whether non-flying passengers will have to pay to use the system. The system will address one of the airport's key operational challenges: moving passengers between terminals that are separated by several kilometres, as Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country's busiest airport, currently requires passengers transferring between T1 and T3 to travel by road. Transit passengers are expected to use the service free of charge, while charges for non-flyers are yet to be decided. The current road journey between T1 and T3 takes about 15-20 minutes or longer during periods of congestion, making the APM's 13-minute journey time a significant improvement in passenger experience.
