Days after the canopy collapse at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, the Ministry of Civil Aviation shared data saying the incident impacted more than 22,000 passengers of IndiGo and SpiceJet.

Around 21,690 passengers of IndiGo and around 925 passengers of SpiceJet were affected.

The Ministry said IndiGo airline provided alternate flights to 12,194 passengers while refunded airfare to 9,431 passengers. SpiceJet provided alternate arrangements to 250 passengers. Terminal1 was used for domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet.

Sources said 72 flights of IndiGo have been shifted from T1to T2 and T3, and 17 flights to T3, adding that all the flights are operational. The expanded T1, which had its capacity increased to handle 40 million passengers from the earlier 17 million, is yet to become fully operational.

According to the sources, it might be a few months before operations resume at T1.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday visited the Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) and held a meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, BCAS, DIAL, and airline operators where he took stock of the operations.

The meeting focused on reviewing current operations and passenger handling following the transition of flights from Terminal 1 to Terminals 2 and 3.

According to the Ministry, a comprehensive assessment was conducted, involving detailed discussions on ensuring smooth functioning and deploying additional manpower to manage increased passenger flow. Minister Naidu advised all stakeholders to maintain rigorous standards to ensure seamless operations and prioritise passenger safety. All flights from T1 have been shifted to Terminal 2 (T2) and Terminal 3 (T3), and all of them were being operated

As per an update provided by the ministry on Monday, the war rooms to help passengers have been activated and close coordination between DIAL and airlines is being facilitated. “All SpiceJet flights to/from Delhi from 1st July till 7th July, 24 will operate from Terminal 3, Delhi Airport. Necessary information has been communicated to all the passengers on their registered contact details (SMS/Email),” the airline said in a post on X on Sunday.

According to officials, structural engineers from IIT Delhi, engaged by the Civil Aviation Ministry, are expected to complete an independent assessment of the roof collapse at Delhi airport’s T1 in a month’s time.  After a thorough assessment of the findings and taking into consideration other aspects, decision will be taken on restarting operations at the terminal.

On June 28, a canopy at the old departure forecourt of T1 partially collapsed amid heavy rains resulting in the death of a person and injuries to at least six people. Following the incident, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said structural engineers from IIT Delhi have been asked to immediately assess the partial collapse of the canopy. The official said the ministry was engaging structural engineers from IIT Delhi to do an independent assessment of roof collapse incident at T1 and they were expected to complete the assessment in one month. After the findings come in, a decision will be taken about recommencing operations at T1, the official added.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by a GMR Group-led consortium DIAL, has three terminals -- T1, T2 and T3 -- and handles around 1,400 flights daily.  

 In response to a set of detailed queries related to T1, DIAL on Sunday said its cross-functional teams are actively evaluating the situation and engaging with various stakeholders to ensure passenger safety and convenience. “We remain committed to maintaining flight operations at T3 and T2, while operations at T1 are temporarily suspended. We appreciate the understanding and support of all stakeholders,” a DIAL spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. To queries about business loss of concessionaries operating shops and services at T1, the spokesperson said as the evaluation process was still under way it was not possible to provide specific inputs.

 Meanwhile, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been directed to issue a circular to all minor and major airports to conduct a thorough inspection of structural strength.  “Based on the findings, the need for increased safety measures and the development of long-term policies to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents will be formulated on a priority basis,” the ministry said in the statement.