Delhi airport T1 faces brief baggage belt glitch, IndiGo warns of longer wait times at check-in

Delhi airport's Terminal 1 (T1) faced a brief technical glitch during check-in operations on Tuesday, the same day all domestic flight operations from Terminal 2 (T2) were shifted to the newly expanded T1 due to maintenance work at the former.

The disruption, caused by a temporary failure in the baggage belt system, led to longer wait times for passengers during check-in and baggage collection.

“We experienced a technical issue at T1 check-in. Our team along with stakeholders are resolving it and operations are normalising. We regret the inconvenience caused,” Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), the airport operator, said in a post on X at 12:50 pm.

The issue was resolved shortly thereafter, according to airport officials.

Earlier, at 11:51 am, budget carrier IndiGo had also informed passengers about the glitch via X, saying: “If you're at #DelhiT1, there could be longer wait times at check-in and baggage collection, following a baggage belt failure. Our teams are working closely with the airport to resolve this quickly. We regret this inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”

An airport official said the technical issue was brief and operations were restored soon.

The glitch came on a day when IndiGo and Akasa Air commenced operations from the newly expanded T1, following the temporary closure of T2 for refurbishment. T2, which was handling over 46,000 passengers and around 270-280 air traffic movements daily, is undergoing maintenance for four to six months, with work expected to be completed by September.

One of the four runways at the Indira Gandhi International Airport is also closed for maintenance.

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam earlier said that adequate planning had been done to handle passenger traffic at T1 and Terminal 3 (T3) during T2’s closure. “T1 has now become fully operational... proper assessment has been done. So, T1 will cover whatever capacity is required,” he had told PTI Videos.

The upgraded T1 now features 100 check-in counters, 108 self-service kiosks, 36 self-baggage drop kiosks, and baggage handling systems capable of managing 6,000 bags per hour. The terminal’s area has been expanded to 2,06,950 square metres, integrating both arrival and departure functions.