Delhi's Airport Count: How Many Serve The Capital?

Delhi is served by two airports: Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is the primary international airport serving the city, and Safdarjung Airport, which is used mainly by VVIP helicopters and small charter helicopters.

Indira Gandhi International Airport is Delhi's primary airport

The airport is situated in Palam, Delhi, 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) southwest of the New Delhi Railway Station and 16 kilometres (9.9 miles) from the city centre. Covering an area of 5,106 acres (2,066 hectares), it features four runways and three passenger terminals, as well as a cargo terminal. Terminal 3, inaugurated in 2010, is the eighth-largest passenger terminal in the world, with a capacity to handle 34 million passengers annually.

Indira Gandhi International Airport has won numerous awards, including being named the "World's Best Airport" in 2017 by the Airport Service Quality Awards in the category of airports handling more than 40 million passengers per year. It was also recognised as the "best airport" in Asia-Pacific in 2020 by the Airports Council International.

In addition to being Delhi's primary airport, there is also the Hindon Airport, which is much smaller and primarily handles regional flights. The former primary airport, Safdarjung Airport, now caters mainly to VVIP helicopters and small charter helicopters. To accommodate growing air traffic, the Noida International Airport is currently under construction.

Delhi has a second airport, Safdarjung Airport, used by VVIP helicopters

Delhi has two airports. The primary airport serving the city is the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is also the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. Named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the airport is located in Palam, Delhi, 15km (9.3mi) southwest of the New Delhi Railway Station and 16km (9.9mi) from the city centre.

Delhi's second airport is the Safdarjung Airport, formerly the primary airport serving the National Capital Region (NCR). Today, it is primarily used by VVIP helicopters and small charter helicopters due to its short runway. The Airports Authority of India, which manages the airport, is located at Safdarjung Airport.

To manage the growing air traffic in Delhi, a new airport, Noida International Airport, is currently under construction.

Noida International Airport is under construction to offset burgeoning air traffic

Delhi is currently served by two airports: Indira Gandhi International Airport and Safdarjung Airport. However, a third airport, Noida International Airport (NIA), is under construction to offset burgeoning air traffic in the region. Also known as Jewar Airport, it will be located in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, approximately 72 kilometres (45 miles) from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The NIA project was first proposed in 2001 by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh, as a greenfield Taj International Aviation Hub (TIAH) at Jewar. However, the project faced several delays and setbacks over the years due to political changes and objections from the operator of Indira Gandhi International Airport, who protested the development of another international airport within 150 kilometres of the existing Delhi Airport.

In 2019, the project gained momentum again, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voting to power at the federal level and allocating funds for land acquisition. The construction contract was awarded to Flughafen Zürich AG, the operator of Zurich Airport in Switzerland, who will build and operate the airport for 40 years. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone in November 2021.

Noida International Airport is planned to be India's and Asia's largest airport, with a proposed eight runways across 7,200 acres (2,900 hectares). The airport will initially handle 12 million passengers per annum, with a capacity of up to 6-12 crore passengers annually after expansion over 30 years. To ensure efficient and seamless operations, NIA has partnered with various companies, including Indian Oil Corporation Ltd for fuelling services and Mahindra Logistics Mobility for an all-electric taxi service.

The airport is expected to open for commercial operations in April 2025, providing much-needed relief to the high and rising traffic load at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Delhi's airports are recognised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI)

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi's primary international airport, is also recognised by the AAI. The airport is located in Palam, Delhi, 15km (9.3 miles) from the New Delhi Railway Station and 16km from the city centre. It is named after Indira Gandhi, India's former Prime Minister, and has been the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger and cargo traffic since 2009. In the 2023-24 financial year, the airport handled 73.6 million passengers, the highest in its history.

In addition to being one of the busiest airports in the world, Indira Gandhi International Airport was also rated the "Best Airport" in Asia-Pacific in 2020 for airports with over 40 million passengers annually by the Airports Council International. The airport has three passenger terminals and one cargo terminal.

Another airport recognised by the AAI is Safdarjung Airport, formerly the primary airport serving the National Capital Region (NCR). Today, it is mainly used by VVIP helicopters and small charter helicopters due to its short runway. The AAI also has a Fire Service Training Centre located in New Delhi.

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium that manages Delhi Airport

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium that manages Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The GMR Group, an infrastructure provider, holds the majority stake in DIAL at 64% (some sources state 54%). The Airports Authority of India (AAI) holds a 26% stake, while Fraport holds the remaining 10%.

In 2004, the AAI initiated the process of selecting joint venture partners to modernise and upgrade the Delhi and Mumbai airports. The GMR-led consortium emerged as the winner of this competitive bidding process and was awarded the concession to operate, manage, and develop IGIA in January 2006. DIAL entered into an Operations, Management, and Development Agreement (OMDA) with the AAI on April 4, 2006, with an initial term of 30 years, extendable by another 30 years.

Under the OMDA, DIAL has the exclusive right to operate, manage, develop, finance, design, construct, modernise, operate, maintain, and regulate the use of the airport by third parties. This includes the right to determine, demand, collect, retain, and appropriate charges from airport users in accordance with the guidelines set out in the OMDA. DIAL also has the right to uninterrupted possession and control of the airport site and existing assets to provide aeronautical and non-aeronautical services.

Since taking over operations in May 2006, DIAL has made significant upgrades to IGIA. They have commissioned a new runway and inaugurated a new domestic departure terminal, increasing the capacity for domestic departures to 10 million passengers per annum. In March 2010, DIAL completed the construction of an integrated passenger terminal (Terminal 3), which is designed to handle 60 million passengers per annum and features advanced baggage handling and security systems. With these improvements, IGIA has been recognised as one of the top airports in the world, ranking 4th globally and 1st in APAC for Airport Service Quality in the 15-25 million passengers category by the Airports Council International.

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