Delhi Airport Collapse: Flight Operations Suspended At Terminal 1

Flight operations from Terminal 1 of Delhi airport have been suspended indefinitely following the collapse of a canopy early Friday morning due to heavy rainfall, announced the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The Ministry issued a statement citing, “Heavy rain in the early morning today has resulted in the collapse of the canopy at Delhi Airport Terminal 1. As a precautionary measure, flights to and from Terminal 1 have been suspended until further notice. Alternate arrangements are being made to ensure the smooth operation of flights.”

Meanwhile, operations at Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 remain unaffected and continue to operate normally.

In addition to the flight disruptions, the shuttle service from Delhi Aerocity Metro station to Terminal 1- IGI Airport has also been temporarily suspended.

The incident, which occurred amidst heavy rainfall across Delhi-NCR, tragically claimed one life and left several injured. Emergency services, including Delhi police, fire service, CISF, and NDRF teams, responded swiftly to rescue those trapped under the collapsed structure.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) IGI Airport, Usha Rangnani, confirmed, “The shed outside Terminal 1 of IGIA (domestic airport) collapsed around 5 am, affecting the area from Departure Gate No. 1 to Gate No. 2. The incident damaged around 4 vehicles and resulted in injuries to approximately 6 persons, with one fatality. All injured persons are in stable condition.”

Passengers faced significant inconvenience as flights were cancelled or redirected. “I have a flight at 9 am. I came to know that the structure above (canopy) has collapsed here. Some flights have been cancelled. They (officials) are now asking us to go to Terminal 2,” shared a stranded passenger with ANI.

Yash, another affected passenger, recounted, “I was heading to Bengaluru; my flight was scheduled at 8:15 am. The roof collapsed around 5:15 am… The Airport Authority has no answer…”

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, assured ongoing oversight of the rescue operations. “Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing,” he stated in a social media update.