New Delhi: Some good news for people who are planning to fly abroad in the near future. Currently the scene at Delhi’s IGI airport is choc a block with construction and expansion work in progress. To get over this problem of overcrowding at already cramped terminal at IGI, Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) have proposed using the largely unused Haj terminal apart from the existing terminals.

This latest development came in the wake when a team from aviation ministry and airlines did a round of the airport at 2:30 am on Wednesday to see for themselves the conditions at the airport. The team was surprised to find long winding line of passengers. DIAL CEO Santha Raju and director Narayan Rao were also part of the team.

The team which was led Aviation ministry’s joint secretary K N Srivastava, has asked DIAL to submit a detailed plan for the use of Haj terminal at the earliest— which in current scheme of things is being used for only two months in a year. The aviation ministry is ready to take up this matter on a priority basis — once the plan is submitted by DIAL the ministry will arrange and grant all the required customs, immigration and other facilities at Haj Terminal round the clock. The IGI airport was built to cater to 12 million passengers a year but the current flow is twice of that.

With all thing government the plan for making use of the Haj terminal will take some time, the team during its round of the airport has asked for immediate improvement in the functioning of the existing terminal. Also during its round the team found that the airport was unacceptably dirty and crowded, with hardly any senior DIAL officials around to help passengers. The Ministry officials have asked the DIAL authorities to make changes in their plan for post security check area, with current plan of building shops in this area, the officials observed that this will impede the smooth flow of passenger movement.

According to sources it is believed that Aviation Minister Praful Patel has also had a word with DIAL bosses on the need for urgent improvements at IGI.

Other recommendations by the team consist of removing the CISF barricade from the entrance, where the crawl begins, by Monday to some other place. To cut baggage x-ray queue, airline counters asked to take over screening before the May 1 deadline. Suggested better staffing of immigration counters.