'Airports handle fog to an extent, no chances with safety'

Enhanced passsenger experience is the aim of Delhi airport which is in an expansion mode, says DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar during 12th edition of Delhi Dialogues

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Santwana BhattachIS arya: We are here to welcome Mr Videh Kumar Jaipuriar to the 12th session of Delhi Dialogues. Mr Jaipuriar has been the Chief Executive Officer of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) since December 2017. His stint has been marked by many milestones that also went in tandem with the coming of age of Indian aviation industry and the modernisation of our airports. Within a year of him joining DIAL, Delhi airport was adjudged best for Airport Service Quality by no less than the Airports Council International. His functioning style is captured by the fact that, when the honour came, he acknowledged the contribution of each and every stakeholder.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport, under the operation of DIAL, manages up to 1,500 aircraft movements daily. Needless to say, that is huge. But the aim is to make it even bigger, as one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.

Mr Jaipuriar recently highlighted that 10-15% of aircraft now utilize the new two-way elevated taxiway that was inaugurated in July called the Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) leading to an estimated reduction of around 55,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The 2.1-km-long ECT is capable of handling wide-body aircraft, and is designed to minimize the time passengers spend on the tarmac post-landing and before take-off. Some of this we've been experiencing ourselves.

Of course, for the extreme cold and fog that descends on Delhi, even DIAL (like the rest of us) has to dial God! Managing the G20 VVIP traffic was of course a feat that called for only human excellence.

Mr Jaipuriar's did chemical engineering from IIT-Delhi, then found his real chemistry after a masters in marketing from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. He has the formula ready to make us all fly better!