BRICS Summit 2026: Delhi airport adds 50% international capacity ahead of global meet
New Delhi: Delhi airport is expanding its international passenger-handling capacity and introducing dedicated immigration arrangements ahead of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit, scheduled in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), has introduced several measures to manage the expected increase in international passenger traffic during the BRICS Summit.
The airport will have dedicated immigration counters for BRICS summit 2026 participants, while arrangements have also been made for aircraft landing and parking as international flight movements are expected to increase during the summit.
Pier C to expand international capacity
DIAL said Pier C at Terminal 3 will progressively begin handling international flight operations from the night of September 9.
International arrivals will be handled through the pier, with both international arrivals and departures planned from the evening of September 10.
Once fully operational, Pier C will increase the airport's annual international passenger-handling capacity by 50 per cent, taking it to 31 million passengers per annum.
DIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker said the airport had undertaken comprehensive preparations in coordination with security and operational stakeholders.
The measures are intended to manage increased international traffic while maintaining safety, security and passenger-handling standards during the global summit.
IGIA handles more than 1,300 flight movements every day and is India's largest airport.
BRICS Summit and India's agenda
The 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit will take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, with India hosting the grouping for the fourth time.
India's 2026 BRICS chairship is centred on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
According to foreign affairs expert Srikanth Kondapalli, India's agenda is placing greater emphasis on practical cooperation in areas including agriculture, startups, climate finance and artificial intelligence.
He also highlighted the growing geographical reach of BRICS following its recent expansion, while noting that a larger membership could make consensus-building more challenging.
Why the airport preparations matter
The expected increase in international movements during a major leaders' summit requires additional airport capacity, immigration arrangements and aircraft parking coordination.
The operationalisation of Pier C gives Delhi airport additional international-handling capacity just ahead of the summit and provides greater flexibility for managing increased passenger traffic.
The BRICS Summit is expected to bring a significant international delegation to New Delhi, making airport operations a key part of India's logistical preparations.
The expansion of Pier C is particularly significant because international flights at IGIA operate from Terminal 3. Increasing international capacity to 31 million passengers annually also strengthens the airport's longer-term ability to handle international traffic beyond the summit itself.
The summit comes as BRICS continues to expand its membership and broaden cooperation across emerging economies. India's 2026 chairship is seeking to emphasise resilience, innovation and practical development, including areas such as climate finance, agriculture and AI.