Mumbai/New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the new T2 Mumbai airport terminal on Friday, but passengers will have to wait for at least three weeks before they are allowed to get a feel of the new terminal.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), a joint venture that manages the airport, confirmed that commercial operations from T2 would start only in February, adding that no date had yet been decided for the launch. MIAL officials, however, declined to get into details of why the delay in commercial operations.
Interestingly, airlines, which will be the main users of the facilities at the terminal, were earlier asked to be ready to start operating from February 15, which was later shifted to February 22. Late on Thursday, they were asked to await a communication shortly on when exactly operations would begin from the new terminal. Sources indicated that once the Prime Minister inaugurates the terminal on Friday, departments, such as immigration, customs, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and airline staffers would conduct dry runs. “The CISF, in particular, wants to avoid a repeat of the chaos that happened in Delhi during the opening of T3 terminal, when many personnel could not find their duty spots, while those completing their duty could not be relieved for hours,” sources said.
Architecture
The architecture and design of the new 4,39,000 square metre terminal has been inspired by a white peacock. Its roof has been embedded with special lenses that move in accordance with the sun’s movement. The terminal also houses a museum with nearly 7,000 artefacts and a 3km-long art wall that features works by over 1,500 artists.
No comments:
Post a Comment