On a midsummer day, with the curtain closing on Indira Gandhi International Airport’s 24-year-old Terminal 2, passengers arriving on Air India Flight 102 were the first to experience the airport’s brand-new — and headline-making — Terminal 3. A water-jet salute added sparkle to the momentous event celebrated by the people of India, the travel industry and more than 10,000 airport personnel.

That first flight into T3 arrived about 20 minutes behind schedule. The second, a Jet Airways flight from Katmandu, came in right on time. In the hour that followed, seven flights operated from the new terminal without incident. No problems were reported from the aerobridges, the food court or check-in. A radar glitch temporarily derailed terminal operations, and other stumbling blocks sporadically tripped up operations, but all in all it proved a remarkable opening day for the 5.4 million-square-foot, nine-level integrated terminal.

Entering its fourth full month of operation in November, T3 embodies a dream come true for India and its capital city.

Delhi simply outgrew its airport. Before the opening of T3, the airport could only accommodate 27 million passengers annually, but the city’s air traffic was growing by about 10 million passengers per year. T3 will match anticipated growth through at least 2013; plans for Terminal 4, to be erected where T2 currently stands, are underway. When both new terminals are up and running, Indira Gandhi International Airport will be on target to transport 100 million passengers per year by 2036.

With the opening of T3, Indira Gandhi International Airport became the largest airport, in scale and design, in India. Its official opening (July 15 for international flights and July 30 for domestic flights) marked the third world-class airport opening in India, following Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The airport project began accumulating remarkable statistics almost immediately following its groundbreaking. Thousands of tons of steel and concrete went into building what is now the eighth-largest airport and the third-largest terminal in the world.

It was a worldwide undertaking. Constructed by workers from India and abroad, the airport consists of a fascinating mix of materials from around the globe: fabrics from China and the United Kingdom, granite flooring from Bahrain, carpet from the Britons and orchids from Thailand and Mexico.

On the subject of flora, “lush” aptly describes the new terminal, inside and out. More than 300 types of plants and trees thrive inside the terminal, while thousands more enhance the exterior landscape.

T3 is also a technophile’s dream. The airport’s five-level in-line baggage handling system, equipped with explosive detection technology, processes bags at a faster pace and with greater efficiency than previous systems. The totally automated baggage handling system examines and delivers more than 12,000 pieces of luggage an hour. More than 3,000 security cameras handle airport surveillance while 800 flight information display systems, with large LCD monitors, process live information. A whopping 8,000 speakers offer an enhanced pub lic address system. A master clock controls all of the airport’s electronics, ensuring absolute accuracy and consistency throughout the airport.

Efficiency is king in the new terminal. One hundred sixty-eight check-in desks and 95 immigration and customs counters make passenger logistics relatively painless. Coupled with the innovative baggage systems, they keep wait times at an absolute minimum. A 4,300-capacity parking facility and a 2,200-capacity parking area help ease the congestion that previously clogged the airport.

Two of the country’s largest carriers, Jet Airways and Air India, are settling in at T3, making the state-of-the-art facility one of their major international hubs. Equipped to handle the world’s largest commercial airliner, the Airbus A380, the terminal welcomed its first, operated by Emirates, on July 16.

It’s a natural — and perfectly correct — assumption that the airport’s new terminal features world-class shopping and dining. Options abound, but what makes T3 truly unique is its distinctly Indian vibe.

In celebration of its Indian heritage, the airport commissioned local artists to create wall murals and sculptures. Spread across the walls of the international and domestic arrivals baggage counter, Delhi’s Paresh Maity’s 80-foot oil on canvas mural, The Indian Odyssey, represents the people, places and monuments of the country.

Another mural adorns the international arrivals area: The 62-foot-long mural Celebration depicts the arts culture in India with scenes of music, dance and other cultural events. Greeting passengers in the international departures area is Satish Gupta’s 13-foot sculpture depicting Surya, the chief solar deity in Hinduism. All the artwork nicely aligns with the “Experience India” theme of the terminal’s visual space.

A 4,000-square-foot Indian bazaar offers arriving passengers a taste of New Delhi. Bringing a strong Indian presence to the airport, the bazaar’s 10 different stores each offer unique wares, and a smaller spin-off is planned for the domestic departures area of T3. Bazaar stock includes handmade Indian handicrafts, spiritual products, ethnic wear, teas and spices.

New Delhi’s infrastructure experienced significant changes courtesy of T3. In August, a dedicated three-lane road opened, connecting the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway to the airport. While relieving city traffic, the toll-free road makes travel to and from the airport a less daunting prospect. By the end of the year a new high-speed rail line connecting the city to the airport will be completed. Departing every 10 minutes, the train will make stops at New Delhi Railway Station, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan and Terminal 3.

The debut of T3 reshaped airport and travel functionality in New Delhi. For India as a whole, the unveiling of the terminal represents a milestone advance for the country’s economy and its position in the global marketplace. More than just a terminal, T3 is the capital city’s friendly ambassador to burgeoning numbers of inbound tourists.

T3 At A Glance

T3 is a nine-story, 5.4 million-square-foot facility

The terminal can handle up to 34 million passengers annually

An average of 60,000 domestic and international passengers will pass through daily

168 check-in counters and 95 immigration counters ensure swift passenger traffic

T3 is home to eight passenger boarding bridges, the maximum number of boarding bridges for a terminal of this size

A five-level baggage handling system can process 12,800 bags per hour

Navigating the terminal is easy, with more than 70 escalators and walkways

The terminal features the longest moving walkway in Asia

Indira Gandhi International Airport is one of the few green airports in the world

The retail area, known as Skyline Avenue, features brands including Marks & Spencer, Versace, Swarovski and Hugo Boss

Barrier-free access allows easy mobility for passengers with disabilities

On average, 95 percent of all passengers will wait 10 minutes or less at any airport counter

Indira Gandhi International Airport is the eighth- largest airport in the world.