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by Devesh Agarwal
Once again the kind friends at Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd. (DIAL), the company which operates the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), supported the Aviation Photographers India Foundation by giving access to the airside, after they had received permission from the DGCA.
Yours truly, got on to a Rosenbauer turn-table ladder (TTL) of the airport fire-fighting team, and took some aerial shots of the airport in the dawn’s early light.
Readers compliment us on the quality of photographs. It is possible due to supporters like DIAL, their management, their air-side chief Ashutosh Kulshreshtha, their fire chief Mr. Kadam, and all their respective team members. Some dare-devilry on my part after being up for 36 hours straight shooting through the night, was the spice added to this mix.
Enjoy the three aerial views and then continue scrolling down to see a photo of me in the TTL bucket way up in the sky, thanks to Praveen Sundaram.
This photo is of the old Terminal 2, which is now used exclusively for Haj flights. The ramp is being used as a large parking lot for the Jet Airways Airbus A330 fleet, and some aircraft from the Kingfisher fleet. Five A330-200s and one new A330-300 are parked. The seventh A330 is parked on the remote ramp, visible in the second picture. Six A330-200s are almost half the Jet Airways fleet. One has to question why are they parked up in Delhi and not being used. There are rumours that Jet is going to lease them to Etihad. More Jetihad.
The remote ramp of the mega Terminal 3. This photo has two rare events in one. First is the Kenya Airways Cargo Boeing 737-300, not seen before this date. Second, is a rare daylight confluence of four Blue Dart freighters of their fleet of six aircraft. Two 757s parked, one 757 taxiing out, and the sole 737-200 near the top right of the photo, waiting to line-up and take-off.
Normally performed by an Airbus A340-300, this day Finnair flight AY021 non-stop from Helsinki, was performed by a Boeing 757-200 with winglets. Unfortunately this aircraft OH-LBT went technical and could not perform the return flight.
And here I am ……. way up there. Let me say, despite the supports on the trucks, the bucket wobbles and sways. It was scary and one has to be very gentle in their movements. Hats off to these fire-fighters.
