Airport Guide: Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi
Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi is the airport of the capital of India and also one of the two most important airpots in the whole country. It’s one of the furthest developed airports in India and comes with three terminals.
Delhi Airport serves approximately 50 million passengers per year and is due to grow by millions of passengers by year. Till 2026, the airport is supposed to serve more than 100 million passengers per year. As of now, there are three terminals and two major runways.
Air India is the dominating carrier at Delhi Airport
However, only two terminals are currently in use. Another three terminals are supposed to be build in the next years. The dominating carrier at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi is Air India.
Most important carriers at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi:
- Air India: dozens of domestic and international destinations
- IndiGo: dozens of domestic destinations
- JetAirways: several domestic and international destinations
Shopping and dining at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi
Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi comes with several dining and shopping facilities. However, most of the shops and dining facilities can be found in the new international Terminal 3. Terminal 1D, which is used for all domestic flights operated by airlines other than Air India and Jet Airways, also comes with limited facilities.
There are several shops at Delhi Airport
If you are departing from Terminal 3, you can expect a modern terminal with tons of facilities landside and airside. There are several bars, cafés and restaurants as well as different kinds of shops for any need. Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport comes very close to what you might be used to from Western airports.
Sleeping at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi
According to sleepinginairports.com, you might be able to catch some sleep at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi in the departure halls of terminals 1 and 3. However, you should be aware that the airport has 24 hour operations, meaning that it is never quiet. If you are instead looking for a comfortable night experience, you may either make use of the sleeping pods or the airport hotel in Terminal 3.
The JW Marriott is a great choice for a stay at the airport
The latter is located inside the security area and thus ideally caters for everyone transiting at Indira Gandhi International Airport. You can also find a couple of airport hotels in the nearby Aerocity. The most luxurious is the JW Marriott, which I’ve already reviewed. All the hotels are quite new and located a five to ten minutes drive from the airport.
Lounges at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi
Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi comes with an endless amount of lounges. If you don’t have access to one of the lounges via status or a business / first class ticket, there are plenty of lounges affiliated with Priority Pass. You may also use these lounges paying at the door.
The Air India Lounge at Delhi Airport is quite good
That’s possible at all seven Plaza Premium lounges (two in Terminal 1, five in Terminal 3) as well as the ITC Welcome Green Lounge (operated by ITC Hotels) and the Allways Lounge (Terminal 3). There are also plenty of airline lounges including those operated by Air India, Emirates Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
Overview of all lounges at Delhi Airport:
- American Express Platinum Lounge (Terminal 1): Platinum Card customers
- Plaza Premium Lounges (Terminal 1): $, PP, various airlines
- Air India Lounge (Terminal 3): *A frequent flyer / Business and First Class
- Allways Lounge (Terminal 3): $, PP, various airlines
- ITC Welcome Green Lounge (Terminal 3): ITC hotel guests & others
- Lufthansa Lounges (Terminal 3): *A frequent flyer / Business and First Class
- Singapore Airlines Lounge (Terminal 3): *A frequent flyer / Business and First Class
- Plaza Premium Lounges (Terminal 3): $, PP, various airlines
- Emirates Lounge (Terminal 3): EK frequent flyer / Business and First Class
Transportation at Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi
Delhi Airport is known for having the best public transportation connection in the whole country. That’s due to the Delhi Airport Metro Express, which connects the airport with Central Delhi. However, depending on where you are staying in Delhi, it may still not be the fastest train to the city.
Only the metro is recommendable when it comes to public transportation in Delhi
Trains generally run quite frequently. During the days, there’s a train at least all 15 minutes. Other options to get to the city center include Uber and metered taxis. However, be aware to book a prepaid taxi or arrange the price before the ride as many drivers try to scam foreigners by not using the meter.
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