Narrated By Amitabh Bachan The new terminal has been built by the GVK-led consortium has been built at a cost of over 2 Billion USD. The T2 covers an area of over 1400 acres. Granite that can cover 27 football fields, and over 18000 metric tonnes of steel have been used in its construction. Though no longer India's busiest airport, the four-storey terminal will cater to an estimated 40 million passengers annually. The new terminal has 188 check-in counters, 60 immigration counters for departing passengers, and 76 immigration counters for incoming fliers. To get around, passengers will have access to 47 escalators and 73 elevators. For those who stress about travelling to the domestic Sahar airport for connecting flights, a six-lane elevated expressway will ease things. A multi-level car park has also been built to accommodate 5,000 vehicles. T2 will mostly cater to international traffic, though a few domestic airlines are expected to move operations there later.Larsen & Toubro was awarded the contract to construct the new Terminal 2 which was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). The terminal covers a land area of 210,000 square metres and will replace the existing International Terminal. The entire project is estimated to cost INR98 billion (US$1.6 billion) and employ over 12,000 workers. The X-shaped terminal has a total floor area of 439,000 square metres across four floors and will eventually handle both domestic and international passengers. It will include new taxiways and apron areas for aircraft parking designed to cater to 40 million passengers annually. The iconic structure will have boarding gates on two piers extending southwards from a central processing building featuring a 42 metre high roof employing over 20,000 metric tonnes of fabricated steel covering 30 acres. The new T2 terminal building will operate Multiple Aircraft Ramp System (MARS) stands and swing gates, so that a single stand can accommodate either one wide body aircraft or two narrow body aircraft, in either domestic or international configuration. The terminal will be connected by the six-lane Sahar Elevated Access Road to the Western Express Highway. A metro rail link to the terminal is also planned. The Terminal will host the world's largest public art programme with 6,000 pieces of Indian art from the 8th to the 19th Century being displayed on 18 foot high walls along the terminal's corridors and other standalone display areas totalling 1.2 kilometres in length. The new terminal will have around 21,000 square meters of retail space, lounges and travel services, over 5,000 square meters of landscaping and a multi level car park for 5,000 cars. T2 will have 188 check-in counters and 60 immigration counters for departing passengers, and 10 baggage carousels and 76 immigration counters for arriving passengers. To transfer passengers across its four levels, the building will have 47 escalators and 73 elevators. The terminal will also feature 41 travelators. In the initial phase of development due for completion in 2013, the apron adjoining T2 will provide a total of 48 stands including 3 Code F stands (for the A-380). In the final phase of development a total of 38 Code E/F contact stands, 14 Code E/F remote stands and 19 Code C remote stands will be provided (total 71 stands).[39] International operations from the building will commence in January 2014, while the domestic operations will be transferred from the Santacruz terminal to T2 by the last quarter of 2014. The terminal will also boast 21,000 square meters of area for retail shopping. The new terminal will have 2300 CCTV cameras for passenger safety and 4100 public address speakers.

• published: 17 Jan 2014
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