Indira Gandhi International Airport, known as Palam Airport until 1986, is the primary international airport serving New Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of 5106 acres,[5] is situated in Palam, Delhi (hence its former name), 15 km southwest of the New Delhi Railway Station and 16 km from the city centre.[6]
Named after Indira Gandhi (1917–1984), the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport of India in terms of passenger traffic since 2009.[7] It is also the busiest airport in the country in terms of cargo traffic. In the financial year of 2024–25, the airport handled over 7.92 crore (79.2 million) passengers, the highest ever in the airport's history.[2] As of 2025, it is the ninth-busiest airport in the world, as per the latest rankings issued by the UK-based air consultancy firm, OAG.[8] It is the second-busiest airport in the world by seating capacity,[9][10][11] having a seating capacity of over 36 lakh (3.6 million) seats, and the third-busiest airport in Asia, handling over 7.78 crore (77.8 million) passengers in 2024.[10][11] In fact, it is routinely one of the busiest airports in the world, according to the Airports Council International rankings.[12]
The airport was operated by the Indian Air Force before its management was transferred to the Airports Authority of India.[13] In May 2006, the management of the airport was passed over to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a consortium led by the GMR Group.[14] In September 2008, the airport inaugurated a 4430 m runway. With the commencement of operations at Terminal 3 in 2010, it became India's and South Asia's largest aviation hub. The Terminal 3 building has a capacity to handle 3.4 crore (34 million) passengers annually and was the world's 8th largest passenger terminal upon completion.[15] The airport inaugurated a 4400 m runway and the 2.1 km Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) with dual parallel taxiways in July 2023.[16] The airport uses an advanced system called Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) to help keep takeoffs and landings timely and predictable.[17]
The other airport serving NCR is the Hindon Airport, which primarily handles regional and domestic flights to major metro cities out of the city under the UDAN Scheme.[18] The former airport, which used to be the primary airport of NCR, Safdarjung Airport is now used mainly by VVIP helicopters and small charter helicopters due to its short runway. To offset the burgeoning traffic, the construction of a new airport, Noida International Airport, was inaugurated in March 2026.[19]
History
Palam Airport was established as a base during World War II to support Allied military operations in Asia. After Indian Independence, the Indian Air Force, took over the airport.[20]
In 1962, commercial passenger operations were relocated from Safdarjung Airport (Delhi's first airport) to Palam Airport. At that time, Palam had a peak capacity of approximately 1,300 passengers per hour.[5] In 1979–80, a total of 30 lakh (3 million) domestic and international passengers flew into and out of Palam Airport.[21] Owing to an increase in air traffic in the '70s and '80s, an additional terminal with nearly four times the area of the old Palam terminal was constructed. With the inauguration of this new international terminal, Terminal 2, on 2 May 1986, the airport was renamed as Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).[5] However, the airport's ICAO code, VIDP, remains associated with its old name.
The old domestic airport (Palam) is known as Terminal 1 and was divided into separate buildings – 1A, 1B, and 1C.
Ownership
On 31 January 2006, the aviation minister Praful Patel announced that the empowered Group of Ministers have agreed to sell the management-rights of Delhi Airport to the DIAL consortium and the Mumbai Airport to the GVK Group.[31] On 2 May 2006, the management of Delhi and Mumbai airports were handed over to the private consortia.[32] Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) was a consortium of the GMR Group (54%), Fraport (10%) and Malaysia Airports (10%),[33] and the Airports Authority of India retains a 26% stake.[34]
In May 2015, Malaysia Airports chose to exit from DIAL venture and sold its 10% stake to GMR Infra for $79 million. Following this GMR Group's stake at DIAL increased to 64%.
Facilities
Runways
Delhi Airport has four near-parallel runways: runway 11R/29L, 4430 x, runway 11L/29R, 4400 x, runway 10/28, 3813 x, and runway 09/27, 2816 x. The 09/27 runway of the Delhi Airport was the airport's first-ever runway; the British constructed the 2,816 metre-long and 60 metre-wide runway in the pre-independence era and used it during World War II.[37] In addition to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Jaipur Airport in Jaipur, Delhi Airport is the one of the three airports in India whose runways are equipped with CAT III-B ILS.[38] In the winter of 2005, there were a record number of disruptions at Delhi Airport due to fog/smog. Since then some domestic airlines have trained their pilots to operate under CAT-II conditions of a minimum 350 m visibility. On 31 March 2006, IGI became the first Indian airport to operate two runways simultaneously following a test run involving a SpiceJet plane landing on runway 28 and a Jet Airways plane taking off from runway 27 at the same time.
The initially proposed mode involving simultaneous takeoffs in westerly flow to increase handling traffic capacity caused several near misses over the west side of the airport where the centrelines of runways 10/28 and 9/27 intersect.
Terminals
IGI Airport serves as a major hub or a focus destination for several Indian carriers including Air India, Alliance Air, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. Approximately 80 airlines serve this airport. At present, there are three actively scheduled passenger terminals, as well as a cargo terminal.
In 2021, DIAL introduced an e-boarding facility for passengers at all the three terminals of the airport, by which all boarding gates will have contactless e-boarding gates with boarding card scanners, which will allow passengers to flash their physical or e-boarding cards to verify flight details in order to proceed for security checks.[48] Terminal 3 is an integrated terminal used for both international and domestic flights. The Indian carriers operating international flights are Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. The domestic side of Terminal 3 is used by Air India, Air India Express, and select flights of SpiceJet and IndiGo. Select flights of IndiGo use Terminal 2 for their domestic operations.
Currently operational terminals
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Connectivity
IGI complex has four passenger terminals, one cargo terminal and a commercial Aerocity. These are the Terminal 1 in the northeast corner for the domestic flights, Aerocity commercial hub in the southeast corner, co-located in Terminal 2 (for domestic budget airlines) and Terminal 3 (international flights) in the southwest corner, cargo terminal between Terminal 3 and Aerocity.
Delhi Aerocity metro station is the main interconnectivity hub for the IGI on Airport Express (operational) and Golden Line (expected completion by March 2026),[373] with the existing NH48 and existing Dwarka Expressway next to it. Also adjacent to it are the proposed Aerocity ISBT (west of the Aerocity metro station),[374] underground Delhi Aerocity RRTS on Delhi–Alwar Regional Rapid Transit System (expected completion by December 2024, east of the Aerocity metro station),[375] proposed at-grade Automatic People Mover (APM) light rail for moving passengers between various terminals within the restricted area, and under-construction Aerocity Passenger Transport Centre (PTC) (east of the Aerocity metro station) for connectivity via autorickshaw, ride hailing bikes and cars, etc.[376]
Awards
In 2010, IGIA was conferred the fourth best airport award in the world in the 1.5–2.5 crore (15–25 million) category, and Most Improved Airport in the Indo-Pacific Region by Airports Council International.[395] The airport was rated as the Best Airport in the world in the 2.5–4 crore (25–40 million) passengers category in 2015, by Airports Council International.[396][397] It was awarded The Best Airport in Central Asia and Best Airport Staff in Central Asia at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015.[398] It also stood first in the new rankings for 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards conducted by Airports Council International.[399]
The airport, along with Mumbai Airport, was adjudged as the "World's Best Airport" at the Airport Service Quality Awards 2017, in the highest category of airports handling more than 4 crore (40 million) passengers annually.
Future expansion
The newer domestic arrivals and departures terminals 1C and 1D, respectively, have been connected and expanded into a singular domestic terminal which are now known as simply, Terminal 1, capable of handling up to 40 million annual passengers.[403]
Terminals 4, 5, and 6 will be built at a later stages which will be triggered by growth in passenger traffic. Once completed, all international flights will move to these three new terminals. Terminal 3 will then be solely used for handling domestic air traffic. A new cargo handling building is also planned. According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), these new terminals will increase the airport's annual passenger volume capacity to 10 crore (100 million).[404]
DIAL submitted a plan in 2016 to the then aviation secretary R N Choubey regarding the expansion of the airport with a new fourth runway and Terminal 4 in a phased manner.[49] The Master Plan of Airport in 2016 was then reviewed and updated by DIAL in consultation with the Airports Authority of India.[405] According to the plan, the terminal construction should have started after the fourth runway was completed and Terminal 1 was expanded.
Accidents and incidents
- 1970: The pilot of a Royal Nepal Airlines Fokker F27-200 (9N-AAR) lost control due to severe thunderstorms and downdrafts, crashing just short of the runway. The plane was landing after a flight from Kathmandu, Nepal. Of the five crew and 18 passengers, one crew member was killed.[407]
- 1972: Japan Air Lines Flight 471 crashed outside of Palam Airport, killing 82 of 87 occupants; ten of eleven crew members and 72 of 76 passengers died, and three people on the ground.[408]
- 1973: Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashed while on approach to Palam Airport, killing 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board.[409][410]
See also
- Transport in India
- List of airports in India
- List of busiest airports in India
- Aviation in India
External links
References
- List of Indian Airports^
- Annexure III – Passenger Data aai.aero, retrieved 26 April 2025^
- Annexure II – Aircraft Movement Data aai.aero, retrieved 26 April 2025^