Investigation ordered into roof collapse at Delhi airport, structural checks also required at other airports | Business news

In addition, the MoCA has decided that all airports will undergo a detailed structural inspection. On Thursday, after heavy rains, a portion of the canopy of the new terminal building of Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh collapsed and fell on a car. Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident. However, in a similar incident on Friday morning in Delhi, one person was killed and eight others injured.

In a post on social media platform X, Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said the DGCA had been directed to conduct a high-level inquiry into the incident at Delhi airport, adding that the situation was also being monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After inspecting the accident site, Naidu said the part of Terminal 1 where the incident had occurred was the older building constructed about 15 years ago and not the new part of the terminal that the Prime Minister inaugurated just before this year’s Lok Sabha elections. According to sources in the government, the collapsed roof was constructed in 2008-09 and the work was subcontracted by GMR to private contractors.

Naidu’s clarification came amid sharp attacks from some opposition leaders who alleged that Modi had rushed to inaugurate an unfinished terminal in view of the general elections. The prime minister had inaugurated the renovated Terminal 1 on March 10.

Flight operations at IGIA were disrupted as Terminal 1 operations were suspended after part of the roof on the terminal forecourt collapsed amid heavy rains in the capital at around 5am on Friday.

Terminal 1 is used only for domestic flights, IndiGo and SpiceJet operate flights from this terminal. According to IGIA operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), all IndiGo and SpiceJet departures from Terminal 1 are cancelled until 2 pm, while later departures and arrivals are shifted to Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. IGIA has a total of three passenger terminals, of which Terminal 3 is the largest.

In a statement early Friday, the country’s largest airline IndiGo said: “IndiGo’s flight operations are impacted due to structural damage at Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 caused by adverse weather conditions. This has resulted in flight cancellations in Delhi as passengers are unable to enter the terminal. Passengers already in the terminal will be able to board their scheduled flights, but those flying later in the day will be offered alternatives.”

The airline added that the unforeseen situation at Delhi airport has resulted in disruption to operations across the airline’s network. IGIA, the country’s largest airport by passenger traffic, is a major hub for most Indian airlines, including IndiGo.

“Important Update: Due to inclement weather (heavy rain), SpiceJet flights have been cancelled as Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport remains partially closed for operations until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding,” budget carrier SpiceJet posted on X early Friday. The airline later informed passengers that flights scheduled from Terminal 1 would be “shifted to Terminal 3.”

Both IndiGo and SpiceJet said affected passengers could choose between alternative flights or a full refund.