Air travel in India has grown at a phenomenal rate, more than tripling from 6% to 20% per annum in less than a decade. The increased traffic at the country’s airports has required massive upgrade works to be undertaken, with the significant input of private sector companies.
India is now well on the way to having some much improved, glossy new airport terminals. However, this hasn’t been with without major inconvenience to passengers. In addition, congested runways at many airports add to flight delays.
Here’s a summary of the state of India’s major airports.
Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
www.flickr.com user _Gene_
New Delhi Airport was leased to a private operator in 2006, and is going through a major upgrade. The construction of new terminal T3 at New Delhi airport has vastly changed the airport's functionality, bringing international and domestic flights (except for stand-alone low cost carriers) together under the one roof. The terminal is said to be the sixth largest in the world, and has doubled the airport's capacity thus making it the busiest in India. The airport now has the capacity to handle 34 million passengers a year.
Travel Time to the City: 45 minutes to one hour, during normal traffic. The road to the airport becomes very congested during peak hours.
Mumbai Chattrapathi Shivaji International Airport
www.flickr.com user Captain Catan
Mumbai airport handles 25 million passengers a year. It was leased to a private operator in 2006 and is undergoing major renovation and upgrade. A new domestic terminal has been opened, and extensive works are being carried out in the international terminal. A new international terminal is due to open in 2012. Currently, long lines for security checks when entering the airport still pose a problem during peak travel times at night.
Travel Time to the City: One to two hours, depending on the traffic.
Bangalore Bengaluru International Airport
www.flickr.com user vm2827
Bangalore is the third busiest airport in India, with over 10 million passengers a year. The airport is brand new and has been constructed by a private company. It opened in May 2008.
Travel Time to the City: One to two hours, depending on the traffic.
Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
www.flickr.com user Just started to learn / reCreation
Hyderabad airport is brand new and opened in mid March 2008. It's operated by a private company and handles around 7 million passengers a year. The airport is excellent with world class facilities, including "in line" baggage screening machines, plenty of check-in and immigration counters to prevent delays, and good crowd control.
Travel Time to the City: One to two hours, depending on the traffic.
Chennai International Airport
www.flickr.com user Himmat Rathore
Chennai airport is the main hub for arrivals and departures in south India. It handles around 8 million passengers a year, over half of which are flying domestically. The airport is operated by the Indian government and its condition is basic but satisfactory. A further extensive upgrade is in the process of being carried out and is expected to be completed by late 2011. This includes construction of a new domestic terminal and expansion of the existing international terminal.
Travel Time to the City: 20-30 minutes.
Kolkata Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport
www.flickr.com user mikecogh
Kolkata airport is very small and handles around 5 million passengers annually. It's an international airport but over 75% of its passengers are domestic travelers. The airport is operated by the Indian government and gives the impression that it's stuck in a time warp. It's outdated and lacks passenger amenities. Fortunately, the airport is planned to be upgraded by 2011.
Travel Time to the City: 45 minutes to 1 hour.
