With heads of state, senior delegations and international dignitaries expected in the Capital for the BRICS Leaders’ Summit, the Delhi airport is opening up additional international capacity at Terminal 3, with Pier C being pressed into service and its overseas passenger-handling capability set to jump by 50 per cent.Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Wednesday that Pier C at T3 became progressively operationalised for international flights from Wednesday night after completion of security and operational checks.International arrivals will be handled first, while both arrivals and departures are scheduled to operate from Pier C from Thursday evening, just hours before the start of the three-day BRICS summit.Once the additional infrastructure becomes fully operational, Delhi airport’s annual international passenger-handling capacity will increase by 50 per cent to 31 million passengers per annum (MPPA), giving India’s busiest airport considerably more room to absorb international traffic.The expansion assumes immediate significance with New Delhi hosting the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit from September 11 to 13 at Bharat Mandapam.The summit is expected to bring leaders and senior delegations from BRICS member and partner countries, besides heads of international organisations and business representatives, leading to increased aircraft movements and heightened security measures at the airport.The phased opening of Pier C is intended to give airport operators greater flexibility in handling this traffic without disrupting regular international passenger operations.DIAL said preparations were being undertaken in coordination with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), immigration and customs authorities, airlines, ground-handling agencies and other stakeholders.The airport operator has also activated enhanced coordination mechanisms to maintain operational continuity during the high-profile event.“The Delhi airport is fully geared up to welcome leaders, dignitaries and international delegations arriving in the national capital for the summit,” DIAL CEO Pradeep Panicker said.He said the airport had undertaken comprehensive preparations with security and operational agencies to manage the anticipated increase in international traffic while maintaining safety, security and passenger experience.“The operationalisation of Pier C further strengthens our international handling capability at Terminal 3 and provides us with additional flexibility during this important global event,” Panicker said, adding that airport teams were working round-the-clock.The significance of Pier C, however, goes beyond the three-day summit. Its conversion for international operations is part of DIAL’s larger capacity augmentation at T3 as Delhi airport grapples with growing overseas passenger traffic and demand for additional infrastructure capable of handling wide-body aircraft.The expanded facility will also improve T3’s ability to accommodate next-generation and wide-body planes, an important element as airlines increase international connectivity from Delhi and deploy larger aircraft on long-haul routes.The operationalisation is being carried out in stages rather than through a single switch-over.