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Mumbai airport’s T2 likely to be operational only by February 12

Mumbai?s brand new airport terminal, T2, inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday…

Mumbai?s brand new airport terminal, T2, inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday, is likely to become operational only by February 12. It was earlier slated to become operational on January 15, but the date has been postponed to give the airport staff time to familiarise itself with the terminal.

?After Friday, the terminal will undergo a comprehensive security sweep as well as operational readiness and airport transfer, familiarisation processes for airlines, ground-handling staff, security, customs, immigration,? said a GVK release.

?During the days preceding commissioning of the terminal, GVK will be undertaking familiarisation process for airlines, ground-handling staff, security, customs, immigration, MIAL employees to get them acquainted with the new technologically advanced system and facilities,? it added.

According to sources, Air India?s flight to Singapore will be the first international flight to take off from the airport.

All international arrivals and departures are set to shift to T2 by February, an MIAL official said.

The domestic full service carriers are set to shift to T2 by June-July 2015 while the existing Santa Cruz?s terminal 1A and 1B will cater to only low-cost carriers.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who inaugurated the terminal, in presence of civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union ministers Jaipal Reddy, Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, said that T2 is expected to establish a new benchmark of functional efficiency and operational safety in the country.

?It (T2) will exemplify our ability as a nation to build world-class infrastructure,? he said.

The T2, which features a highly compact design by New York-based SOM, will have the capacity to handle over 40 million passengers annually.

The terminal, which spans 4,39,203 square metres, has 208 check-in counters as well as 23 domestic and 30 international security pedestals. There are 6o emigration counters on departure and 72 for arrival. The terminal also features 52 boarding bridges, and has a seating capacity of 10,900 along with a retail footprint of 200,000 sq ft. It also features a 2,00,000-sq ft landscape garden.

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First published on: 11-01-2014 at 04:58 IST
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