India has 137 airports across the nation, out of which 24 are international airports. Even the number of domestic flights in India is pretty high, which makes it the third largest air transport market in the world. But, have you wondered which is the busiest airport in India?
India’s busy airports owe a lot to the growing sectors like travel and tourism, along with a boom in new-age businesses and entrepreneurs. One of the reasons why you see an upward trend is because of the affordability of flight tickets, good connectivity and availability of flights connecting Indian and international destinations.
Here's a list of the busiest airports in India, along with the factors that have catapulted them to the top of the lot.
Top 10 busiest airports in India
1. Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi (DEL)
Being India's capital city and a popular travel destination, New Delhi is both the busiest airport in India and first on the list of the top 10 international airports in India.
With great connectivity and the most advanced technological implementations, Delhi Airport was awarded the Best Airport for Airport Service Quality in the year 2021. It is also the largest airport with three terminals and three runways, covering an area of 4430 metres in total.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (BOM)
India's commercial capital, Mumbai, is more widely known across the globe. It is why Mumbai Airport is the second busiest airport in India. The airport was named the World's best airport for Airport Service Quality back in 2017 and it still does not fail to provide everything a passenger needs.
3. Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore (BLR)
The third busiest airport in India has also received international recognition the year after Mumbai received its award. Bangalore airport was awarded the best for Airport Service Quality for Arrivals in 2018. The airport has one terminal and two runways to manage both international and domestic traffic.
4. Chennai International Airport, Chennai (MAA)
Apart from its breathtaking and spacious architecture, Chennai airport has gained its position in the list of top 10 biggest airports in India. Over the last few years, the airport has been getting better at their services with a positive satisfaction index from the average mark.
5. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata (CCU)
During the pandemic, Kolkata airport gained a lot of recognition for its service quality, cleanliness, and connectivity. It managed to climb up in the list of top 10 airports in India.
6. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad (HYD)
Back in 2010, within just two years of operation, the airport had received international recognition for being the best for transit travellers and its airport management facilities. In the category of five to 15 million passengers, this civilian Hyderabad airport has been listed in the Global top three for nine years consecutively.
7. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad (AMD)
The busy airport in India has two passenger terminals, one for domestic flights and another for international flights, which are well connected. It is also one of the oldest airports in India and tops the list of airports in Gujarat. It won an award for Best Steel Structure in the year 2009.
8. Cochin International Airport, Cochin (COK)
The Cochin airport, one of the four airports in Kerala, is among the best airports in India in terms of the number of terminals; it has three terminals, one for international and the other two for domestic flights. The higher-up management in this airport has received positive feedback in the last few years.
9. Pune International Airport, Pune (PNQ)
It is originally an Air Force airport that also became a domestic airport a few years back. Equipped with all the modern amenities and efficient working of the airport to separate army and civil management, Pune airport has become one of the famous airports in India.
10. Dabolim Airport, Goa (GOI)
Dabolim airport in Goa was originally constructed by the Portuguese. It is among the top 10 international airports in India due to the popularity of Goan tourism in the world. Again, it partly functions as an army airport for the Indian Navy.
Have you travelled through all of India's top 10 airports? Which one tops your list for its efficiency of services?