Named afterIndira Gandhi (1917–1984), the formerPrime Minister of India, it is thebusiest airport of India in terms of passenger traffic since 2009.[8] 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 7.92crore (79.2 million) passengers, the highest ever in the airport's history.[2] As of 2025, it is theninth-busiest airport in the world, as per the latest rankings issued by the UK-based air consultancy firm,OAG.[9] It is the second-busiest airport in the world by seating capacity,[10][11][12] having a seating capacity of over 36lakh (3.6 million) seats, and thethird-busiest airport in Asia, handling over 7.78 crore (77.8 million) passengers in 2024.[11][12] In fact, it is routinely one of the busiest airports in the world, according to theAirports Council International rankings.[13]
The airport was operated by theIndian Air Force before its management was transferred to theAirports Authority of India.[14] In May 2006, the management of the airport was passed over to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a consortium led by theGMR Group.[15] In September 2008, the airport inaugurated a 4,430 m (14,530 ft) 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 theworld's 8th largest passenger terminal upon completion.[7] The airport inaugurated a 4,400 m (14,400 ft) runway and the 2.1 km (1.3 mi) Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) with dual parallel taxiways in July 2023.[16] The airport uses an advanced system calledAirport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) to help keeptakeoffs andlandings timely and predictable.[17]
The other airport serving NCR is theHindon Airport, which primarily handles regional and domestic flights tomajor metro cities out of the city under theUDAN 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, is currently underway.[19]
Palam Airport was established by theBritish Raj as a base for theRoyal Indian Air Force duringWorld War II to support Allied military operations in Asia. After Indian Independence, the Royal Indian Air Force, which was later rechristened as theIndian Air Force, took over the airport.[20]
In 1962, commercial passenger operations were relocated fromSafdarjung Airport (Delhi's first airport) to Palam Airport.[citation needed] 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 internationalterminal, Terminal 2, on 2 May 1986, the airport was renamed as Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).[5]
The old domestic airport (Palam) is known as Terminal 1 and was divided into separate buildings – 1A, 1B, and 1C. Blocks 1A and 1B were used to handle international operations while domestic operations took place in Block 1C. Block 1A and 1B later became dedicated terminals for domestic airlines and are currently closed down. It is planned that they will be demolished after the construction of newer terminals. Block 1C was also turned into a domestic arrivals terminal, and was rebuilt and opened on 24 February 2022. The newly constructed domestic departures block 1D is now used by domestic low-cost airlines (IndiGo, andSpiceJet). There is also a separate technical area for VIP passengers. The domestic arrivals terminal 1C was demolished and rebuilt into a brand-new domestic arrivals terminal. For this expansion work, GoAir and select flights of IndiGo were moved to Terminal 2 as well as select flights of SpiceJet and IndiGo to Terminal 3.
In October 2001,Canada 3000 commenced a flight to Toronto.[22] This was the first nonstop service between India and North America.[23] Russia's decision to open its airspace after theCold War allowed the airline to save time by flying a direct route over the Arctic.[24] Even though the11 September attacks had precipitated a global decline in air travel, Canada 3000 was hoping that the service would help it improve its financial position.[22][25] Nevertheless, the company collapsed one month later.[26]
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.[27] 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 the2010 Commonwealth Games,[28] a much larger Terminal 3 was constructed and inaugurated on 3 July 2010.[29] The new terminal's construction took 37 months for completion and this terminal increased the airport's total passenger capacity by 34 million.[29]
Apart from the two budget domestic airlines handled by Terminals 1 and 2, all other airlines operate their flights from Terminal 3. In June 2022, Delhi International Airport became India's first to run entirely on Hydro Power and solar energy.[30]
On 31 January 2006, the aviation ministerPraful 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 theGVK 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) is a consortium of theGMR Group (54%),Fraport (10%) andMalaysia Airports (10%),[33] and theAirports 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%.[35] In 2024 Fraport sold its 10% shareholding to GMR Group.[36]
Delhi Airport has four near-parallel runways: runway 11R/29L, 4,430 m × 60 m (14,530 ft × 200 ft), runway 11L/29R, 4,400 m × 45 m (14,436 ft × 148 ft), runway 10/28, 3,813 m × 46 m (12,510 ft × 151 ft), and runway 09/27, 2,816 m × 45 m (9,239 ft × 148 ft). 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 toChaudhary Charan Singh International Airport inLucknow andJaipur Airport inJaipur, Delhi Airport is the only airport in India to have been equipped with the CAT III-B ILS, as of 2017.[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 (1,150 ft) visibility. On 31 March 2006, IGI became the first Indian airport to operate two runways simultaneously following a test run involving aSpiceJet plane landing on runway 28 and aJet 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.[39] The runway use was changed to segregate dependent mode on 25 December 2007, which was a few days after a near miss involving anAirbus A330-200 ofQatar Airways and an IndiGoA320 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[40] and 4,430 m (14,534 ft) long. The runway has one of the world's longest pavedthreshold displacements of 1,460 m (4,790 ft). This, in turn decreases the available landing length on runway 29L to 2,970 m (9,744 ft). The reason for the long threshold displacement is due to the presence of a 263 m high Shiv statue, which is located near runway 29L.[dubious –discuss][41][42] 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.[43]
Since 2012, all three runways were operated simultaneously to handle traffic during day hours.[44] 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.[45]
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.[46] 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 2.1 km (1.3 mi) long and both the taxiways will be 44 m (144 ft) wide, with a 47 m (154 ft) wide gap separating the taxiways, making it capable of handlingAirbus A380 andBoeing 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.[16][47]
Terminal 1D at Indira Gandhi International AirportInside view of Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport
IGI Airport serves as a major hub or a focus destination for several Indian carriers includingAir India,Alliance Air,IndiGo, andSpiceJet. 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 areAir India,IndiGo, andSpiceJet.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.
Terminal 1 is used by the low cost domestic carriers, such asSpiceJet andIndiGo. 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).[49][50] 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.[citation needed]
Terminal 2 was opened on 1 May 1986, at a cost of₹95 crores[5] and was used for international flights until July 2010 when operations shifted to Terminal 3. After this, the terminal remained operational for only three months per year.[51] In 2017, after revamping Terminal 2 at a cost of₹100 crores,[51] DIAL shifted all operations of GoAir and select operations of IndiGo to that terminal in order to continue expansion work of Terminal 1.[52][53] As of October 2025, all Terminal 2 renovations are complete and it is open for operations.[54]
Sculptures in Terminal 3: Hindu solar deitySurya (upper left), Surya Namaskara asanas (upper right), andhasta mudras or hand gestures extending from a wall over the immigration counters (bottom)
Interior of Terminal 3
Designed byHOK working in consultation withMott MacDonald,[55] 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, 18X-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)[56][57] This new terminal was timed to be completed for the2010 Commonwealth Games, which was held in Delhi and is connected to Delhi by an eight-laneDelhi–Gurgaon Expressway and theDelhi Metro through itsAirport 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 14baggage carousels. Terminal 3 has India's firstautomated parking management and guidance system in amulti-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).[58]
Domestic full-service airlineAir India operates from Terminal 3.[59]Air India Express, although a low cost airline, also operates its domestic flights from this terminal. Some flights ofSpiceJet andIndiGo 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.[60]
India's firstgeneral 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.[61][62]
The air cargo complex is located at a distance of 1 km (0.62 mi) from Terminal 3. It consists of separate brownfield and greenfield cargo terminals.[63] 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).[64] 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.[65] It started its operations in June 2010.[65] In addition to the existing terminal, a new greenfield terminal is being developed in phases by Delhi Cargo Service Centre (DCSC), also a joint venture between DIAL and Cargo Service Center (CSC).[65] The greenfield cargo terminal project consists of two terminals built over a plot of 48,000 square metres and 28,500 square metres, respectively. Phase 1A of the project has been completed and is fully operational.[63] Once the entire project is completed, these two new terminals will have an annual handling capacity of 12.5 lakh (1.25 million) tonnes.[65] The cargo operations of the airport received "e-Asia 2007" award in 2007 for "Implementation of e-Commerce / Electronic Data Interchange in Air Cargo Sector".[66]
Terminal 1A was built in 1982 as a temporary structure for international VIPs arriving for the1983 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Delhi. After the event, the building was unused untilIndian Airlines started operatingAirbus A320 operations in 1988. It had to be refurbished after a fire gutted the interiors in October 1996[67] and DIAL significantly upgraded the terminal. The terminal was closed after Air India shifted operations to the new Terminal 3 on 11 November 2010.[68] 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.[69]
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
Interior of Terminal 1D
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 largerluggage 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[70] as a domestic departures terminal with a total floor space of 53,000 m2 (570,000 sq ft) and a capacity to handle 1.5 crore (15 million) passengers per year.[71] The terminal commenced operations on 19 April 2009.[72] It had 72 Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) enabledcheck-in counters, 16 selfcheck-in counters, and 16security channels.[72]
IGI complex has four passenger terminals, one cargo terminal and a commercial Aerocity.[clarification needed] 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 onYellow Line (operational) andGolden Line (expected completion by March 2026),[281] with the existingNH48 and existingDwarka Expressway next to it. Also adjacent to it are the proposedAerocity ISBT (west of the Aerocity metro station),[282] underground Delhi Aerocity RRTS onDelhi–Alwar Regional Rapid Transit System (expected completion by December 2024, east of the Aerocity metro station),[283] proposed at-gradeAutomatic People Mover (APM) light rail for moving passengers between various terminals within the restricted area,[284] and under-construction Aerocity Passenger Transport Centre (PTC) (east of the Aerocity metro station) for connectivity via autorickshaw, ride hailing bikes and cars, etc.[284] The upgradedBijwasan 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 theHaryana Orbital Rail Corridor (expected completion by March 2025) via the Patli railway station in the south.
In September 2024, DIAL issued tenders for an elevated cum at-gradeAutomated 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.[285]
Bijwasan railway station, immediately to the west of IGI on theDelhi–Jaipur line, is being upgraded to a major world-class regional multimodal transport hub. Construction for ₹270.83 crore project started in 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in 2024.[291]
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 shortHisar Airport rail line spur from the Jakhal–Hisar line to Hisar Airport will be constructed.[292]
Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) connects to the Delhi–Jaipur line at Patli railway station few kilometres south of Bijwasan. HORC will also provide direct rail connectivity to the Noida Airport via the Palwal-Jewar rail spur.
Another smaller station near IGI on the Delhi–Jaipur line is thePalam railway station, located north of Bijwasan station and northeast of IGI, 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Terminals 1 and 3 respectively. Several suburban passenger trains run regularly between these stations.[293][294]
The airport, which lies in south Delhi near the border withHaryana state, is connected to Delhi in the north andGurgaon in Haryana in the south by two expressways, both of which have eight lanes: the older and busier 27.7 km long at-gradeDelhi–Gurgaon ExpresswayNH 48 (part of Delhi-Jaipur National Highway) which runs through Gurgaon, and the newer 26.7 km long elevatedDwarka Expressway NH-248BB, which passes west of Gurgaon.[295] The Dwarka Expressway originates immediately east of IGI airport at Shiv Murti and terminates in Haryana nearKherki Daula Toll Plaza, south of Gurgaon, near theWestern Peripheral Expressway (WPE).[296]
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.[297]
As of 2024, twoInter-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.[282]
Dwarka Dwarka Inter State Bus Terminus (Dwarka ISBT), adjacent and west of "Dwarka Sector 21 metro station", construction started on 27 acres in 2022, will cater to buses fromHaryana and Punjab.[298] It is also close to Bijwasan railway station. It is 11 km west of IGI T3.
In 2010, IGIA was conferred the fourth best airport award in the world in the 1.5–2.5 crore (15–25 million) category, andMost Improved Airport in theIndo-Pacific Region byAirports Council International.[303] The airport was rated as theBest Airport in the world in the 2.5–4 crore (25–40 million) passengers category in 2015, by Airports Council International.[304][305] It was awardedThe Best Airport in Central Asia andBest Airport Staff in Central Asia at theSkytrax World Airport Awards 2015.[306] It also stood first in the new rankings for 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards conducted by Airports Council International.[307]
The airport, along withMumbai 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.[308] The airport was awarded the "best airport" inAsia-Pacific in 2020 (over 4 crore (40 million) passengers per annum) by theAirports Council International.[309] In 2023, the airport was awarded as theCleanest 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.[310]
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).[58]
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.[311] According to the plan, the terminal construction should have started after the fourth runway was completed and Terminal 1 was expanded.[49] However, the conversion and expansion of Terminal 2 into a fully-international terminal has been put on halt and postponed.[312]
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.[314]
On 29 August 1978, Air India Flight 123, a Boeing 747-237B (registered VT-EBO), flying from Delhi toFrankfurt carrying 377 passengers and crew, aborted take-off at 150 knots due to No. 3 engine failure. While the crew hit the brakes and deployed thrust reversers, the plane veered off the runway and entered soft ground resulting in left-hand wing landing gear collapse and substantial damage, as No.3 and 4 reversers were not effective. The No. 3 engine failed due to ingestion of tire pieces. The plane sustained substantial damaged but was repaired and put back to service.[317]
1988: AnAir FranceBoeing 747 on 24 July 1988 at 0124hrs flying as flight AF187 from Delhi toParis Charles de Gaulle carrying 275 people (260 passengers and 15 crew) suffered an accident during take-off at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The copilot was pilot flying. During takeoff the aircraft attained V1 speed (156 kts). 2.5 seconds later the No. 4 engine fire warning came on. The copilot rejected the takeoff at a speed of 172 kts, which was past the safe limit for the aircraft which was at the threshold of its maximum take off weight. The aircraft overran the runway, causing the main gear to collapse and damage to the nose section and undercarriage as the aircraft veered left at the end of the runway as it slid and struck lighting and radar equipment. There was no fire in No. 4 engine it was found. There were no fatalities and one minor injury as passengers evacuated the aircraft on slides. The aircraft was repaired over a period of 6 months on site at Delhi and put back in service.[318]
1990: AnAir IndiaBoeing 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 fromLondon Heathrow Airport. On application ofreverse 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.[319]
1993: AnUzbekistan AirlinesTupolev Tu-154 that had been leased byIndian 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.[320]
1994: ASahara 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.[321] Wreckage struck anAeroflotIlyushin-86 (registered RA-86119) parked nearby, killing four people inside.[322]
1995: Indian Airlines Flight 492 (IC 492), aBoeing 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 fromJaipur to Delhi.[323]
On 23 May 1996, during the initial climb, passengers on board aBritish AirwaysBoeing 747-200B heard muffled bang, accompanied by a jolt. The flight was continued without further incident, but upon landing atLondon Heathrow Airport, inspection of the aircraft found that a panel above the left hand over-wing slide position had broken up from its leading edge, with about 30% of the panel was missing.[324]
On 12 November 1996, the airport was involved in theCharkhi Dadri mid-air collision when aSaudia Boeing 747-100B, climbing out after take-off, collided with an incomingKazakhstan AirlinesIlyushin Il-76 chartered by a fashion company, causing the deaths of all 349 people on board the two planes.[325]
On 24 December 1999,Indian Airlines Flight 814 bound for Delhi was hijacked by Pakistan based terrorist outfitJaish-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 17 December 2009,Air India One, a Boeing 747-400 (registered as VT-EVA), operating as an executive flight forPrime MinisterManmohan Singh from Delhi to Copenhagen, was hit by an by a food delivery trolley shortly before it was scheduled for takeoff. The Prime Minister took off on a substitute Boeing 747-400 aircraft after a delay of three hours.[326]
On 10 November 2016, Air India Flights 142 from Paris and 154 from Vienna, both Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners heading to Delhi, were nearly involved in a midair collision 12 nautical miles away from the airport, due to conflicting instructions from TCAS and ATC. The incident prompted aDGCA andAAIB investigation, which concluded that the breach of separation between the two aircraft occurred due to incorrect label management, wrong separation technique for sequencing of arrival aircraft and inadequate surveillance.[327]
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.[328]
On 22 September 2025, a 13-year oldstowaway from Afghanistan was discovered on the landing gear compartment of aKam Air flight that arrived fromKabul. The boy, who said he wanted to travel to Iran out of curiosity but was unaware that he had taken a flight to India, was repatriated on a return flight that same day.[329]
^"Advance System at IGIA" (Press release). Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Civil Aviation. 12 December 2013. Retrieved12 December 2013.
^ab"DGCA issues license for Ambikapur airport to begin flight operations".Business Standard. 16 March 2024. Retrieved16 March 2024.The chief minister inaugurated flight services from Bilaspur to Delhi and Kolkata on March 12, while the flight service Delhi-Jabalpur- Jagdalpur-Jabalpur-Delhi was also launched on the same day, the official said.
Jefford, C.G. (1988).RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912.Shrewsbury: Airlife.ISBN1-85310-053-6.
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