The first phase of the Mumbai’s new airport terminal — that will ultimately see all passenger and airline activity shift to Andheri — will be open to the public by the end of this year. In its first step towards the opening of the integrated terminal, the south-west pier will be linked to the existing international terminal building and function as a post check-in area for a few foreign carriers. Passengers can look forward to a more comfortable journey as the terminal will have six aerobridges and retail outlets. A spokesperson for the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) confirmed the opening of the new facility: “The south-west pier is basically one arm of the X-shaped terminal. It is a postsecurity area with boarding bridges, retail outlets, etc.’’ This part of the terminal will be similar to the domestic terminal 1C, which was inaugurated a week ago, and will function as a security hold and boarding area. So, while passengers will continue to checkin from the existing terminal, they can move to the comfort of the south-west pier after collecting their boarding passes and clearing security. The international airport at Sahar was divided into terminals 2A, 2B and 2C. The new arm of the terminal will be located where terminal 2A once stood; it was demolished in 2009 as part of the MIAL’s plans for the integrated terminal. “The construction of the entire X-shaped terminal is being undertaken in a phased manner while the airport is still operational. The authorities will gradually shift operations to the new terminal as and when each phase is complete,’’ said an official. The final X-shaped terminal building, which will be complete by 2012, will have four levels, spread across an area of 4.3 million square metres. Around 50 additional check-in counters, 56 passenger boarding bridges, 14 reclaim belts and a car park with a capacity for more than 5,000 vehicles are some of the features the new terminal will have. “The construction of this terminal has already begun and will be completed to accommodate 40 million passengers annually, compared to the current 30-35 million,’’ said a senior MIAL official. “The area in Santa Cruz, where the domestic terminal is currently located will be completely phased out with respect to flight operations. It will be used either for commercial activity or for a separate cargo complex,’’ he added. The X-shaped terminal has been touted as an engineering marvel. Some of the roof structures covering the terminal building will each be about 8 lakh square feet in area. Passengers will have to wait till 2012, but we can a get a taste of what’s to come when the southwest pier opens for business in the coming months.
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