Revamped T1 Reopens to Mixed Start

The Delhi airport's Terminal 1 (T1) reopened on Tuesday—over nine months after a part of its canopy collapsed due to a heavy downpour that left one dead and many people injured—with travellers appreciating the upgrades undertaken in the interim and for smooth conduct of operations.

- Snehil Sinha

NEW DELHI: However, there were some teething problems with baggage processing and conveyor belts that necessitated manual processes to be undertaken, officials said.

Airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said that the baggage check-in process was slow for a brief period. However, recurring baggage belt malfunctions later in the day led to some flights getting delayed.

After posting that "flight operations were not affected" in its first post on social media, DIAL said in a second statement around 5.45pm on X: "We are currently experiencing intermittent baggage check-in system issues at Terminal 1. This has already been escalated to the global OEM for urgent resolution. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our passengers. We are working with all stakeholders to resolve the issue on priority."

Passengers complained about the delays and problems with their check-in baggage, as flight operators informed domestic travellers that their baggage would be delivered on the next available flight.

"Took a flight from Delhi to Dehradun, arrived 1.5 hours late. Funny thing: the pilot announced there would be a delay because they had to load the luggage. On reaching, majority of passengers discovered their luggage is still in Delhi," a user named Aryan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Some fliers also appreciated the ease of access and inter-terminal movement.