Airlines Could Save Up To $21 Million Annually By Using Delhi Airports New Taxiway
Summary
- Delhi Airport's new elevated taxiway - the Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT) - is expected to save airlines significant money by reducing taxi distances and time.
- The ECT can accommodate widebody aircraft and handles a significant portion of daily aircraft movement in Delhi.
- With increasing air traffic and plans for Delhi Airport to become a major international hub, the new taxiway and fourth runway are crucial investments to manage the increasing load.
India’s busiest airport, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, received its fourth runway and an elevated taxiway earlier this year. Both are proving to be great investments to streamline operations at the airport, with the taxiway projected to save significant money for the airlines.
New taxiway
On July 17th, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) inaugurated a dual-elevated taxiway called the Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT). Developed to reduce the taxi time of aircraft and emissions, it connects the Northern and Southern airfields on the eastern side of the airport.
The first-of-its-kind taxiway in India, the ECT can handle widebody aircraft and, together with the airport’s fourth runway, is expected to handle the increasing traffic at Delhi Airport. And now, the CEO of the airport’s operator has given an estimate of how much airlines can save by using this new taxiway.
Good for the airlines and the environment
Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, the CEO of Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which manages the operations of Delhi Airport, has said that airlines could save millions every year by using the latest Eastern Cross Taxiway.
For aircraft landing on the third runway and bound for Terminal 1, using the ECT reduces the taxi distance from 9 km to just 2 km. Naturally, this translates into significantly reduced taxi time - this means that passengers spend less time in the aircraft after landing, and airlines save fuel and emit less carbon dioxide in the process.
An aircraft going from Runway 29R to Terminal 1 and vice versa now stands to save around 350 kg of fuel burn every time. So, how does this translate into cost savings and benefits for the environment? Mint quotes Jaipuriar as saying,
"Each litre of ATF produces 2.5-3 kg of carbon dioxide. If we are talking about saving 55,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, you divide it by 3 and that basically means around 18,000 tonnes of ATF. Each tonne of ATF costs ₹1 lakh and it is ₹100 per litre... savings for airlines because of lower taxiing time is expected to be around ₹150-180 crore ($18-21 million)."
Handling increased traffic
With air travel on the rebound and Indian airlines projected to welcome hundreds of new aircraft over the next decade, airports such as Delhi and Mumbai will get significantly busier. Delhi’s new taxiway and fourth runway are expected to help manage the load better.
The ECT is a dual-lane taxiway, boasting 44 meters per lane with a separation of 47 meters, allowing the movement of two aircraft in opposite directions. Built to handle widebodies such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380, it handles a portion of daily aircraft movements in Delhi.
Photo: Nicolas Economou | Shuttertsock
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These airports are located in major metropolitan regions and offer unique amenities for travelers.With plans for Delhi Airport to be developed into a significant international hub, such infrastructure development is necessary to keep future operations smooth and efficient.
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