India's first exclusive private jet terminal inaugurated at Delhi's International airport

India's first exclusive private jet terminal was inaugurated by Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on September 17, 2020. The exclusive terminal will handle flight operations of private jets.

The exclusive terminal has 57 parking bays and so can handle up to 150 private jet flights per day. Before the pandemic, the Delhi airport was handling the operations of around 40 "general aviation" flights per day and it is currently handling about 20 such flights. The flight operations of private jets are classified under the "general aviation" category.

While speaking after inaugurating the terminal, the Civil Aviation Minister said that the terminal looks good. He said that people like him use other terminals that are earmarked for commercial passenger flights but he was confident those who use this terminal would give very positive feedback. Puri added saying that though the terminal is small, he is sure that it will give a significant boost to general aviation.

Happy to inaugurate a General Aviation Terminal at @DelhiAirport today.

Today we have more than 100 general aviation aircraft & more than 300 non-scheduled operators registered with DGCA.

We see this figure growing further in coming days. pic.twitter.com/awpAlmyYLN

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) September 17, 2020

New Private Jet Terminal

• The new exclusive terminal has spacious passenger lounges, retail and food and beverage sections and 24x7 personal concierge services. 

• Further, Delhi airport's operator DIAL said in a press release that there is a common processing area with customs and immigration. It would be followed by immediate access to private jet aircraft stands from the terminal.

• The terminal has the capacity to handle over 50 passengers every hour.

Benefit 

The new and exclusive private jet terminal will enable smooth movement of business jets and chartered aircraft. The inauguration of the terminal fulfills a long-pending demand of the Indian billionaires, who have been since long seeking friendlier skies with a network of airports just for private jets.

Besides this, the use of private jets is expected to see a rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic as India's super-rich prefer chartered flights to ensure safer travel.