Indira Gandhi International Airport

Indira Gandhi International is the busiest airport in India and the main gateway to the north of the country. It runs on three terminals, and getting the terminal right is the first thing to sort out, because they are not all beside each other.

The terminals

Terminal 3 is the big one — it handles international flights and the full-service domestic operations of carriers like Air India and, historically, the premium domestic services. Terminal 1 is used mainly by low-cost domestic flights, and Terminal 2 takes some of the domestic overflow. T1 sits apart from T3, so a free shuttle bus runs between the terminals for connecting passengers. Always confirm your terminal on your ticket; arriving at T1 for a T3 flight means a transfer across the airport.

Getting into Delhi

The Delhi Metro Airport Express line (the Orange Line) runs from Terminal 3 to New Delhi railway station in around 20 minutes, connecting into the wider Metro network. It is fast, cheap, and skips the road traffic, which is the main reason to prefer it.

By taxi, use the prepaid taxi counters or an app-based ride rather than negotiating at the curb; the airport is about 16 km southwest of the center, and the trip can stretch out in traffic.

Worth knowing

Delhi enforces a valid ticket or travel document to enter the terminal buildings — this is normal at Indian airports, so have your booking ready at the door. Security is layered and can be slow at peak departure times, so build in margin, especially for early-morning banks of flights. In winter, dense fog is a real operational factor here and causes delays and diversions; if you are travelling in December or January, expect the schedule to move.