Indira Gandhi International Airport

Mark VI of No. 194 Squadron RAF at RAF Station Palam|261x261px 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. 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. 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). This was the first nonstop service between India and North America. Russia's decision to open its airspace after the Cold War allowed the airline to save time by flying a direct route over the Arctic. Even though the 11 September attacks had precipitated a global decline in air travel, Canada 3000 was hoping that the service would help it improve its financial position. Nevertheless, the company collapsed one month later. Significant growth in the Indian aviation industry led to a major increase in passenger traffic. The capacity of Terminal 1 was estimated to be 71.5 lakh (7.15 million) passengers per annum (mppa). The actual throughput for 2005/06 was an estimated 1.04 crore (10.4 million) passengers. Including the then closed down international terminal (Terminal 2), the airport had a total capacity of 1.25 crore (12.5 million) passengers per year, whereas the total passenger traffic in 2006/07 was 1.65 crore (16.5 million) passengers per year. In 2008, the total passenger count at the airport reached 2.4 crore (23.97 million). To ease the traffic congestion on the existing terminals and in preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a much larger Terminal 3 was constructed and inaugurated on 3 July 2010. The new terminal's construction took 37 months for completion and this terminal increased the airport's total passenger capacity by 34 million. == 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. On 2 May 2006, the management of Delhi and Mumbai airports were handed over to the private consortia. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) was a consortium of the GMR Group (54%), Fraport (10%) and Malaysia Airports (10%), and the Airports Authority of India retains a 26% stake. 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%. In 2024 Fraport sold its 10% shareholding to GMR Group. ==Facilities==

Runways Delhi Airport has four near-parallel runways: runway 11R/29L, , runway 11L/29R, , runway 10/28, , and runway 09/27, . 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. In addition to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Jaipur Airport in Jaipur, Delhi Airport is one of the three airports in India whose runways are equipped with CAT III-B ILS. 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 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. The runway use was changed to segregate dependent mode on 25 December 2007, which was a few days after a near miss involving an Airbus A330-200 of Qatar Airways and an IndiGo A320 aircraft. The new method involved the use of runway 28 for all departures and runway 27 for all arrivals. This more streamlined model was adopted during day hours (– 2300 0600 – 2300 IST) until 24 September 2008. On 21 August 2008, the airport inaugurated its third runway, 11R/29L, costing ₹1,000 crore and long. The runway has one of the world's longest paved threshold displacements of . This, in turn decreases the available landing length on runway 29L to . The reason for the long threshold displacement is the presence of a 263 m high Shiv statue, which is located near runway 29L. The runway increased the airport's capacity to handle up to 100 flights from the previous 45–60 flights per hour. The new runway was opened for commercial operations on 25 September 2008 and gradually began full round-the-clock operations by the end of October of the same year. Since 2012, all three runways have been operated simultaneously to handle traffic during day hours. Only runways 11R/29L and 10/28 are operated during night (2300–0600 IST) hours with single runway landing restriction during westerly traffic flow that is rotated late night (0300 IST) and reversed weekly to distribute and mitigate night time landing noise over nearby residential areas. Boeing 777-300ER moments before touchdown at Indira Gandhi International Airport's Runway 29R To cater for the demand of increasing air traffic, the master plan for the construction of a fourth parallel runway next to the existing runway 11R/29L was cleared in 2017. along with the Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) - a pair of elevated parallel taxiways linking the northern part of the airport with the southern runways. It will be elevated as it will pass over the airport approach roads. It will be long and both the taxiways will be wide, with a wide gap separating the taxiways, making it capable of handling Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 type aircraft. It will help flights reducing duration to reach the southern runways from 9–10 minutes to only two minutes, as well as reducing pollution and traffic. The fourth runway and the ECT was inaugurated on 14 July 2023. ==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. 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 Terminal 1 Terminal 1 is used by the low cost domestic carriers, such as SpiceJet and IndiGo. In 2022, Terminal 1D was fully expanded with an arrivals hall, with the goal of enhancing its annual passenger handling capacity from the previous 1.8 crore (18 million) to 4 crore (40 million). In 2025, after a brief period, Terminal 1 has now re-opened following major renovations and an expansion including a 'guitar-neck' shaped pier section. As a result, the Terminal is now a singular building encompassing the area of previous terminals 1A through D. Terminal 2 Terminal 2 was opened on 1 May 1986, at a cost of 95 crores In 2017, after revamping Terminal 2 at a cost of 100 crores, Terminal 3 is a two-tier building spread over an area of 54 lakh (5.4 million) square feet (approx 502,000 square metre ) making it the 15th largest terminal in the world, with the lower floor being the arrivals area, and the upper floor being a departures area. This terminal has 168 check-in counters, 78 aerobridges at 48 contact stands, 54 parking bays, 95 immigration counters, 18 X-ray screening areas, shorter waiting times, duty-free shops, and other features.The international flights leave from gates 1-26 (gates 2, 4, 6 are bus gates) and the domestic flights leave from gates 27-62 (gates 42, 44 are bus gates) This new terminal was timed to be completed for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which was held in Delhi and is connected to Delhi by an eight-lane Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway and the Delhi Metro through its Airport Express (Orange Line). The terminal was officially inaugurated on 3 July 2010. All international airlines shifted their operations to the new terminal in late July 2010 and all full service domestic carriers in November 2010. The arrival area is equipped with 14 baggage carousels. Terminal 3 has India's first automated parking management and guidance system in a multi-level car park, which comprises seven levels and a capacity of 4,300 cars. Terminal 3 forms the first phase of the airport expansion which tentatively includes the construction of additional passenger and cargo terminals (Terminal 4, 5, and 6). Air India Express, although a low cost airline, also operates its domestic flights from this terminal. Some flights of SpiceJet and IndiGo were also shifted to Terminal 3 temporarily for the expansion of Terminal 1. On 16 December 2024, the Indira Gandhi International airport became the first in India to connect directly to 150 airports or destinations — both domestic and international — with the launch of a Thai AirAsia X direct flight between Delhi and Bangkok's Don Mueang airport. General Aviation Terminal India's first general aviation terminal was commissioned in this airport in September 2020. The terminal caters to support the movement and processing of passengers flying through chartered flights or private jets from the airport. Air cargo complex The air cargo complex is located at a distance of from Terminal 3. It consists of separate brownfield and greenfield cargo terminals. The cargo operations at the brownfield terminal are managed by Celebi Delhi Cargo Management India Pvt. Ltd., which is a joint venture between Delhi International Airport Private Ltd (DIAL) and the Turkish company Celebi Ground Handling (CGH). CGH was awarded the contract to develop, modernise, and finance the existing cargo terminal and to operate the terminal for a period of twenty-five years by DIAL in November 2009. It started its operations in June 2010. Previous terminals Terminal 1A Terminal 1A was built in 1982 as a temporary structure for international VIPs arriving for the 1983 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Delhi. After the event, the building was unused until Indian Airlines started operating Airbus A320 operations in 1988. It had to be refurbished after a fire gutted the interiors in October 1996 and DIAL significantly upgraded the terminal. The terminal was closed after Air India shifted operations to the new Terminal 3 on 11 November 2010. DIAL had earlier planned to use the terminal for Haj operations as well as for charter planes; however, it never materialised. The terminal lay unused until 2018, when DIAL decided to demolish it. Terminal 1B Terminal 1B was also built in the late 1980s and was used only for domestic departures. Upon the opening of the new domestic departures Terminal 1D in 2009, Terminal 1B was closed and is expected to be demolished on the completion of newer terminals. Terminal 1C Terminal 1C was also built in the late 1980s and was used only for domestic arrivals. The terminal has been upgraded with a newly expanded greeting area and a larger luggage reclaim area with eight belts. Terminal 1C was shut down, torn, and rebuilt into a brand new domestic arrivals hall on 24 February 2022. Terminal 1D Terminal 1D was developed by DIAL and inaugurated on 27 February 2009 as a domestic departures terminal with a total floor space of and a capacity to handle 1.5 crore (15 million) passengers per year. The terminal commenced operations on 19 April 2009. It had 72 Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) enabled check-in counters, 16 self check-in counters, and 16 security channels. ==Airlines and destinations==

Passenger Guwahati, Jammu, Kolkata, Leh, Mumbai–Shivaji, Patna, Pune, Shillong Srinagar, Varanasi }} Cargo ==Statistics==

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), 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), underground Delhi Aerocity RRTS on Delhi–Alwar Regional Rapid Transit System (expected completion by December 2024, east of the Aerocity metro station), proposed at-grade Automatic People Mover (APM) light rail for moving passengers between various terminals within the restricted area, The upgraded Bijwasan railway station (expected completion by December 2024) is adjacent to the Dwarka Sector 21 metro interchange station on Orange and Blue Line, and Bijwasan railway station will connect to the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (expected completion by March 2025) via the Patli railway station in the south. Air train In September 2024, DIAL issued tenders for an elevated cum at-grade Automated People Mover (APM) system to be completed by the end of 2027. The 7.7 km line will have four stops — T2/3, T1, Aerocity and cargo city. This line will be the first APM at an Indian airport and is proposed to be implemented on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model. Metro rail IGI complex has three metro stations. Terminal 1 in the northeast corner of IGI Complex is served by the Terminal 1-IGI Airport metro station on the Magenta Line of Delhi Metro. Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 are co-located in the southwest. Both are served by the same IGI Airport metro station on the Orange Line (Airport Express Line), which runs from New Delhi metro station (connects to Yellow Line and New Delhi Railway Station) to Dwarka Sector 21 metro station (connects to Blue Line, Bijwasan railway station, and the Dwarka ISBT Bus Terminal) and IICC - Dwarka Sector 25 metro station (India International Convention and Expo Centre, will be further extended to Gurgaon), with trains running every 10 minutes. Dwarka Sector 21 metro station, west of IGI, is the metro interchange of Orange and Blue Line. Bamnoli will also be connected further south to Rapid Metro Gurgaon (at Rezang La Chowk in Palam Vihar) via the existing IICC - Dwarka Sector 25 metro station (India International Convention and Expo Centre). East of IGI, the line connects to the Yellow Line and New Delhi Railway Station at New Delhi Station. The line also links the Pink Line at Dhaula Kuan (Walkover Bridge between Dhaula Kuan and Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus Station). Delhi Aerocity metro station in southeast corner of IGI, between Terminal 1 and Terminals 2 and 3 metro stations, is the metro interchange of Orange and Magenta lines. Metro Phase-IV is extending the Magenta Line further east from Aerocity Metro to Tuglakabad, via Vasant Kunj and Mehrauli Archaeological Park, with expected completion by 2026. Hisar International Airport-IGI Airport line (HIAIGI Line) will directly connect IGI with Hisar Airport. In the first phase, the missing Garhi Harsaru-Farukhnagar–Jhajjar rail link will be constructed. In the second phase, a short Hisar Airport rail line spur from the Jakhal–Hisar line to Hisar Airport will be constructed. Roads and expressways The airport, which lies in south Delhi near the border with Haryana state, is connected to Delhi in the north and Gurgaon in Haryana in the south by two expressways, both of which have eight lanes: the older and busier 27.7 km long at-grade Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway NH 48 (part of Delhi-Jaipur National Highway) which runs through Gurgaon, and the newer 26.7 km long elevated Dwarka Expressway NH-248BB, which passes west of Gurgaon. The Dwarka Expressway originates immediately east of IGI airport at Shiv Murti and terminates in Haryana near Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, south of Gurgaon, near the Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE). WPE in turn connects, listed from west to east, IGI to Delhi–Ambala–Amritsar NH 1, Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway, NH9 Delhi-Hisar (Hisar Airport 150 km west of IGI), Delhi–Jaipur NH-48, Gurgaon–Sohna Elevated Expressway, Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Faridabad–Noida–Ghaziabad Expressway (FNG), Palwal-Jewar Airport Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), etc. Urban Extension Road-II, a 75.7 km-long six-lane expressway, connects the IGI airport to the south, southwest and western suburbs of Delhi as well as to the Delhi-Hisar NH-9. Buses As of 2024, two Inter-State Bus Terminals (ISBT) for long-distance buses are being constructed for the IGI. • Aerocity Inter State Bus Terminus (Aerocity ISBT), adjacent to the Aerocity Metro Interchange Station near Terminal 1 of IGI, proposed in 2023, with IGI complex. It is also close to Bijwasan railway station. It is 11 km west of IGI T3. • Gurgaon Inter State Bus Terminus, announced in 2023 over 15 acres of Sihi village near Kherki Daula toll plaz where Dwarka Expressway meets Delhi-Jaipur Highway NH48. Will cater to the buses from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is 28 km south of IGI. Local transport Air conditioned low-floor buses operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) regularly run between the airport and the city. Alternate airports nearby Under the National Capital Region Transport Plan, the following international airports are being developed as an alternate to IGI: In April 2023, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the Hisar International Airport-IGI Airport line (HIAIGI Line) rail link between IGI and Hisar airport via Bijwasan-Gurgaon-Garhi Harsaru-Sultanpur-Farukhnagar-Jhajjar, Rohtak-Hansi-Hisar. • Noida International Airport, 100 km southeast. ==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. 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. It was awarded The Best Airport in Central Asia and Best Airport Staff in Central Asia at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015. It also stood first in the new rankings for 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards conducted by Airports Council International. 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. The airport was awarded the "best airport" in Asia-Pacific in 2020 (over 4 crore (40 million) passengers per annum) by the Airports Council International. In 2023, the airport was awarded as the Cleanest Airport in the Asia-Pacific Region and also stood first again in the rankings for 2022 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards in the category of over 4 crore (40 million) passengers per annum, conducted by Airports Council International. == 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. 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). 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. 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. • 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. • 1973: Indian Airlines Flight 440 crashed while on approach to Palam Airport, killing 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board. • 1990: An Air India Boeing 747 flying on the London-Delhi-Mumbai route and carrying 215 people (195 passengers and 20 crew) touched down at Indira Gandhi International Airport after a flight from London Heathrow Airport. On application of reverse thrust, a failure of the no. 1 engine pylon to wing attachment caused this engine to tilt nose down. Hot exhaust gases caused a fire on the left-wing. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off. • 1993: An Uzbekistan Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 that had been leased by Indian Airlines due to an ongoing pilot strike flipped over and caught fire while landing in bad weather. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire. • 1994: A Sahara Airlines Boeing 737-2R4C (registered VT-SIA) crashed while performing a training flight killing all four people on board and one person on the ground. Wreckage struck an Aeroflot Ilyushin-86 (registered RA-86119) parked nearby, killing four people inside. • 1995: Indian Airlines Flight 492 (IC 492), a Boeing 737-2A8 (Registered VT-ECS), was damaged beyond repair when the aircraft overshot the runway at Delhi Airport due to pilot error, on its scheduled flight from Jaipur to Delhi. • On 12 November 1996, the airport was involved in the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision when a Saudia Boeing 747-100B, climbing out after take-off, collided with an incoming Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 chartered by a fashion company, causing the deaths of all 349 people on board the two planes. • On 24 December 1999, Indian Airlines Flight 814 bound for Delhi was hijacked by Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed. The plane was taken to Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UAE. After the turn of the millennium, the plane was allowed to go back to Delhi. One passenger was killed. • On 28 June 2024, a portion of the roof of Terminal 1 collapsed on parked vehicles amid heavy rains in the early morning. One person was killed and eight were injured. ==See also==