New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India's first General Aviation Terminal at Delhi airport on Thursday. The first general aviation terminal for private jets promises faster turnaround of business jets and chartered planes, shielding them from the clutter of general passenger terminals where they now compete for taxiing slots with commercial flights.

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The terminal has 57 parking bays and can handle up to 150 private jet flights per day. According to reports, the new terminal, which had been ready for use since July this year and was awaiting a final security nod from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will start operations from Sunday afternoon.

During the inauguration ceremony, Puri said the Delhi airport was handling around 40 "general aviation" flights per day before the pandemic, and it is currently handling around 20 such flights per day.

Flight operations of private jets are classified under the "general aviation" category. “The terminal can handle Code C type aircraft, which are 50-seater charter aircraft and the biggest in their category,” the airport operator said.

The terminal offers a dedicated car parking with direct access to the city side, the airport operator said, adding the building and aircraft boarding area are at a walking distance from each other for easy and quick boarding or alighting of passengers.

Apart from its aircraft handling capacity, the terminal building houses spacious passenger lounges, food and beverage sections, 24x7 personal concierge services, and a common processing area, the airport operator said.

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“For quick access, the terminal has its own immigration and customs area. Facilities for crew members and staff such as restrooms and briefing areas are available in this new terminal, DIAL said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the Delhi airport, will also manage the security of the new terminal.

The terminal has an access control system, Wi-Fi enabled services, and an integrated perimeter security control system, DIAL said.

The terminal was built at a cost of Rs150 crore over one-and-a-half years by Bird ExecuJet Airport Services Private Limited, a joint venture between Bird Group and ExecuJet Aviation Group, an international business aviation company based in Switzerland’s Zurich Airport.

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