The civil aviation ministry has prepared a blueprint to convert Delhi airport into an international hub for passenger airlines with effect from August this year to help the airport, which is being expanded by a GMR-led consortium, utilise large amounts of additional capacity that will be ready by July.

A senior civil aviation ministry official confirmed the development and said the decision has been conveyed to both international and domestic carriers. A meeting has been scheduled in March to finalise the details.

Under the plan, the government decided that National Aviation Company Ltd (Nacil), the company set up after merging flag carrier Air India and domestic carrier Indian Airlines, will set up its hub in Delhi (Delhi currently serves as the hub for domestic operations and Mumbai for international operations).

The government is also planning to make Delhi a regional hub to connect south east Asia to Europe by leveraging the capital's strategic mid-point location, a ministry official added.