Airport Statistics Updated November 2026

Human Written & Fact Checked · Updated

187 Delhi Airport Statistics for 2026

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi handled 78,701,971 passengers in FY2026, India's fiscal year from April 2025 to March 2026, on the count of GMR Airports, which controls the airport's operator. ACI World, which counts calendar years, ranked Delhi 11th in the world for 2025 with 78,148,081 passengers. The two totals cover different twelve-month periods and are not the same measure.

This page brings together the main figures on Delhi Airport (DEL): passengers by fiscal and calendar year, 2026 so far, the busiest months and days, domestic, international and transfer traffic, destinations, flights, cargo, rankings, passenger ratings, the environment, terminals and runways, getting through the airport, ownership and finances. Every number links to the body that published it, with the date.

Delhi figures depend on the period and on who counts. GMR and the operator, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), report India's fiscal year, April to March, while ACI World and Fraport report calendar years. GMR's monthly reports count passenger flights only, its annual reports use a wider flight count, and ACI counts all aircraft movements. Each figure here says whose it is and what it measures.

Headline figures

How many passengers use Delhi Airport each year?

Delhi Airport has grown fast for a decade on GMR's figures, with only the pandemic years and a small dip in FY2026 breaking the trend. Its highest fiscal year so far is FY2025, April 2024 to March 2025.

65.7m FY18 69.2m FY19 67.3m FY20 22.6m FY21 39.3m FY22 65.3m FY23 73.7m FY24 79.3m FY25 78.7m FY26
View data table
Passengers at Delhi Airport in each fiscal year (April to March), in millions, as stated in GMR's annual reports. FY18 is April 2017 to March 2018. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
FY1865.7m
FY1969.2m
FY2067.3m
FY2122.6m
FY2239.3m
FY2365.3m
FY2473.7m
FY2579.3m
FY2678.7m
Passengers at Delhi Airport in each fiscal year (April to March), in millions, as stated in GMR's annual reports. FY18 is April 2017 to March 2018. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2025-26), 2026)

All figures in this section are for India's fiscal year, April to March, and count domestic and international passengers arriving and departing, on the figures of GMR, which controls the operator. Annual reports round to 0.1 million; the monthly traffic reports give exact counts. GMR gives two different growth rates for FY2025, so neither is used, and FY2015 to FY2017 are published only as thresholds passed. Calendar-year totals from ACI World and Fraport appear in their own sections and are not compared with these.

How busy is Delhi Airport in 2026?

Delhi grew in most months of 2026 so far, and May jumped because May 2025 had been weak. Growth has slowed since the early summer, while the number of flights has grown faster than passengers.

7.17m May 6.58m Jun 6.03m Jul 6.08m Aug 5.99m Sep
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Passengers at Delhi Airport each month from May to September 2026, in millions, on GMR's figures. April 2026 is not shown. Each month comes from the report for that month; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
May7.17m
Jun6.58m
Jul6.03m
Aug6.08m
Sep5.99m
Passengers at Delhi Airport each month from May to September 2026, in millions, on GMR's figures. April 2026 is not shown. Each month comes from the report for that month; the link is to the latest one. (GMR Airports (Sep 2026 traffic report), Oct 2026)

GMR's monthly reports count all passengers, domestic and international, at Delhi. FY2027 runs from April 2026 to March 2027, so its first half is April to September 2026. GMR rounds the domestic and international splits to 0.1 million. October 2026 figures were not out when this page was reviewed.

Which are the busiest months at Delhi Airport?

Winter is the peak at Delhi, from November to March, and July to September were the quietest months of FY2026. Each new monthly high has come in November or December.

6.67m Apr 6.25m May 6.16m Jun 5.81m Jul 5.92m Aug 5.84m Sep 6.52m Oct 7.30m Nov 7.03m Dec 7.23m Jan 6.96m Feb 7.00m Mar
View data table
Passengers at Delhi Airport each month of FY2026 (April 2025 to March 2026), in millions, on GMR's figures. Each month comes from the report for that month; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
Apr6.67m
May6.25m
Jun6.16m
Jul5.81m
Aug5.92m
Sep5.84m
Oct6.52m
Nov7.30m
Dec7.03m
Jan7.23m
Feb6.96m
Mar7.00m
Passengers at Delhi Airport each month of FY2026 (April 2025 to March 2026), in millions, on GMR's figures. Each month comes from the report for that month; the link is to the latest one. (GMR Airports (Mar 2026 traffic report), Apr 2026)

Monthly figures are total passengers from GMR's monthly traffic reports, and the changes compare each month with the same month a year earlier. The pre-pandemic monthly highs are rounded figures from GMR's annual reports.

What are the busiest days at Delhi Airport?

Daily figures are GMR's rounded numbers in lakh (1 lakh is 100,000). The monthly reports' daily movement records count passenger flights; the annual reports do not say which flights their daily peaks count. The 1,700 a day is declared airside capacity, not flights flown.

How many Delhi passengers fly domestic and international?

Most Delhi passengers fly within India, but Delhi handles a bigger share of India's international traffic than of its domestic traffic. Both sides were almost flat in FY2026.

  • Domestic 57.2m
  • International 21.5m
Delhi passengers in FY2026 (April 2025 to March 2026) by type of flight, in millions, as rounded by GMR. (GMR Airports (Mar 2026 traffic report: split), Apr 2026)

GMR's shares are its own calculation against all traffic at Indian airports, for fiscal periods. The FY2023 international figure and share come from a DIAL release quoting Airports Authority of India data. Growth rates for the FY2025 split are left out because GMR's monthly and annual reports give different ones.

How many passengers change planes at Delhi?

Delhi is turning into a transfer hub, and most connecting passengers move between two domestic flights. Transfers between two international flights are still a small part of the total.

  1. 1 Domestic to domestic 8.56m
  2. 2 Domestic to international 2.88m
  3. 3 International to domestic 2.73m
  4. 4 International to international 0.34m
Transfer passengers at Delhi from April 2022 to February 2023, by type of connection, in millions, from DIAL. (DIAL (transit hub release, May 2023), May 2023)
  • From April 2022 to February 2023, 11 months of FY2023, Delhi handled over 14.50 million transfer passengers, about 8.56 million of them between two domestic flights. (DIAL (transit hub release, May 2023), May 2023)
  • About 2.88 million connected from domestic to international flights, 2.73 million from international to domestic, and over 337,000 (3.37 lakh) between two international flights. (DIAL (transit hub release, May 2023), May 2023)
  • DIAL says nearly 70% of Indian airports are within Delhi's catchment, reachable by air in 60 to 90 minutes, and that 63 airlines served Delhi in 2023. (DIAL (transit hub release, May 2023), May 2023)
  • Delhi lets 4 million domestic passengers a year connect to international flights, and its transfer passengers doubled over the previous decade, DIAL said in December 2024. (DIAL (150 destinations release, Dec 2024), Dec 2024)

Transfer passengers are counted by DIAL, the operator. The breakdown covers 11 months of FY2023 and is not compared with the FY2026 share in GMR's annual report.

Where can you fly from Delhi Airport?

Delhi was the first Indian airport to reach 150 destinations, DIAL says, and more than half of India's weekly long-haul flights leave from it. Mumbai and Bengaluru are its biggest domestic routes by seats.

  1. 1 Mumbai 675.3k
  2. 2 Bengaluru 451.8k
  3. 3 Kolkata 298.2k
  4. 4 Hyderabad 297.5k
  5. 5 Pune 281.5k
  6. 6 Ahmedabad 251.7k
  7. 7 Chennai 213.0k
Scheduled one-way seats on Delhi's biggest domestic routes in November 2026, in thousands, from OAG's schedule data. These are seats offered, not passengers. (OAG (India aviation market briefing), Nov 2026)
  • Delhi became India's first airport to connect 150 destinations in December 2024, DIAL said; 88% of India's long-haul destinations are served from Delhi, and 56% of India's weekly long-haul departures leave from it. (DIAL (150 destinations release, Dec 2024), Dec 2024)
  • Mumbai to Delhi was India's busiest domestic route in November 2026, with 675,300 one-way seats, up 2.2%, and Bengaluru to Delhi was second with 451,800, down 13.2%. (OAG (India aviation market briefing), Nov 2026)
  • Kolkata-Delhi had 298,200 seats that month, down 1.9%, Delhi-Hyderabad 297,500, down 3.9%, and Delhi-Pune 281,500, up 4.3%. (OAG (India aviation market briefing), Nov 2026)
  • Ahmedabad-Delhi grew fastest of India's top domestic routes, up 10.3% to 251,700 seats, while Delhi-Chennai had 213,000, down 5.7%. (OAG (India aviation market briefing), Nov 2026)
  • Japan Airlines began flying from Tokyo Narita to Delhi on 17 January 2026, its second route between Narita and India. (Narita Airport (JAL Delhi route), Jan 2026)
  • About 110,000 people travelled between Delhi and Auckland in 2024, a third of all trips between India and New Zealand, and around 150 a day fly each way, Auckland Airport says. (Auckland Airport (Delhi partnership), Mar 2025)
  • Auckland Airport describes Delhi as directly connected to 71 international cities. (Auckland Airport (Delhi partnership), Mar 2025)
  • Air India Express began a daily Mangaluru-Delhi flight on 1 February 2025; the first flight from Mangaluru carried 167 passengers and the first from Delhi 144. (Mangaluru Airport (Air India Express route), Feb 2025)

OAG counts seats scheduled by airlines, a capacity measure, not passengers, and its page rolls forward each month. Destination counts differ by date and by document: DIAL gave 150 in December 2024 and GMR's annual report a higher count for FY2026. Auckland's figures are trips between the two cities, which need not be non-stop. DIAL does not define long-haul.

How many flights does Delhi Airport handle?

Delhi handles more passenger flights every year, and since the start of FY2026 flights have grown faster than passengers. GMR's monthly count of passenger flights and its annual reports' wider count differ, so each is shown on its own.

296.2k FY22 415.8k FY23 429.3k FY24 455.2k FY25 459.5k FY26
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Passenger air traffic movements at Delhi in each fiscal year (April to March), in thousands, from GMR's monthly traffic reports. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
FY22296.2k
FY23415.8k
FY24429.3k
FY25455.2k
FY26459.5k
Passenger air traffic movements at Delhi in each fiscal year (April to March), in thousands, from GMR's monthly traffic reports. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one. (GMR Airports (Mar 2026 traffic report: flights), Apr 2026)

GMR's monthly reports count passenger air traffic movements only, each take-off or landing of a passenger flight, for fiscal years. ACI World's calendar-year movements for Delhi appear in the rankings section and are not compared with these.

What do GMR's annual reports count?

The annual reports give a wider count of air traffic movements than the monthly reports, which count passenger flights only, and GMR does not define it. The two series are not joined or compared.

How much cargo does Delhi Airport handle?

Delhi handles more air cargo than any other Indian airport, GMR and ICRA say, and international freight is the bigger part. Cargo is growing faster than passengers in 2026.

0.96 FY18 1.04 FY19 0.96 FY20 0.74 FY21 0.92 FY22 1.00 FY24 1.11 FY25 1.15 FY26
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Cargo at Delhi in each fiscal year (April to March), in million metric tonnes, from GMR's reports. FY23 is not shown because the reports used here do not give it. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
FY180.96
FY191.04
FY200.96
FY210.74
FY220.92
FY241.00
FY251.11
FY261.15
Cargo at Delhi in each fiscal year (April to March), in million metric tonnes, from GMR's reports. FY23 is not shown because the reports used here do not give it. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2025-26), 2026)

GMR reports cargo in metric tonnes for fiscal years, April to March; its older reports write tons. Fraport's calendar-year cargo, which includes mail, is in its own section and is not compared. "Largest" and "busiest" are GMR's and ICRA's own words, and ICRA's share is its own calculation.

How many passengers did Delhi handle by calendar year?

Fraport, a shareholder in Delhi's operator until 2024, published Delhi's traffic by calendar year. Its figures show a dip in 2012, fast growth from 2013 to 2016 and a strong recovery after the pandemic.

28.5m 2010 35.0m 2011 34.2m 2012 36.7m 2013 39.8m 2014 46.0m 2015 55.6m 2016 72.2m 2023 77.8m 2024
View data table
Passengers at Delhi Airport by calendar year, in millions, as reported by Fraport. No Fraport figures are shown for 2017 to 2022. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
201028.5m
201135.0m
201234.2m
201336.7m
201439.8m
201546.0m
201655.6m
202372.2m
202477.8m
Passengers at Delhi Airport by calendar year, in millions, as reported by Fraport. No Fraport figures are shown for 2017 to 2022. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one. (Fraport (Visual Fact Book 2024), 2025)
  • Delhi handled 28,531,607 passengers in calendar 2010, up 13.0%, with 595,518 tonnes of cargo, up 25.8%, and 266,481 aircraft movements, up 8.8%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2010), Apr 2011)
  • It handled 35,001,742 passengers in 2011, up 22.7%, with 594,491 tonnes of cargo, unchanged, and 311,049 movements, up 16.7%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2011), Mar 2012)
  • Passengers fell 2.3% to 34,211,608 in 2012; cargo fell 5.6% to 560,434 tonnes and movements 1.8% to 305,249. (Fraport (Annual Report 2012), Apr 2013)
  • Delhi handled 36,712,455 passengers in 2013, up 7.3%, with 595,775 tonnes of cargo, up 6.3%, and 309,074 movements, up 1.3%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2013), Apr 2014)
  • It handled 39,752,819 passengers in 2014, up 8.4%, with 689,716 tonnes of cargo, up 15.8%, and 323,701 movements, up 4.7%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2014), Mar 2015)
  • Passengers rose 15.7% to 45,981,773 in 2015, with domestic traffic up 21.6% and international up 3.9%; cargo was 773,896 tonnes, up 11.8%, and movements 347,434, up 7.3%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2015), Mar 2016)
  • Passengers rose 21.0% to 55,631,385 in 2016, with 845,507 tonnes of cargo, up 9.5%, and 406,506 movements, up 17.7%. (Fraport (Annual Report 2016), Mar 2017)
  • Delhi handled 72,214,841 passengers in calendar 2023, up 21.4%. (Fraport (Visual Fact Book 2023), 2024)
  • It handled 77,820,834 passengers in calendar 2024, up 7.8%. (Fraport (Visual Fact Book 2024), 2025)

These are calendar years, January to December, so they are not compared with GMR's April to March fiscal years. Fraport's cargo is air freight and air mail in metric tonnes, and its movements are its own reported totals.

Where does Delhi Airport rank in the world?

Delhi is one of the world's dozen busiest airports by passengers on ACI World's count, and the only Indian airport in its top 20. It ranks lower for flights and is not in ACI's top 20 for cargo.

  1. 1 Denver 82.43m
  2. 2 Delhi 78.15m
  3. 3 Incheon 74.13m
Passengers at the airports ranked 10th to 12th in the world in calendar 2025, in millions, on ACI World's count. (ACI World (2025 rankings: passengers), Jul 2026)
  • Delhi was 9th in ACI World's passenger table for 2024 and 17th for 2019, and its 2025 total was 14.1% above 2019. (ACI World (2025 rankings: passengers), Jul 2026)
  • Denver was 10th in 2025 with 82,427,962 passengers and Incheon 12th with 74,126,912; Delhi was the only Indian airport in ACI's top 20. (ACI World (2025 rankings: passengers), Jul 2026)
  • ACI World ranked Delhi 16th in the world for aircraft movements in 2025, with 481,856, up 0.9% on 2024 and 3.3% on 2019; it was 15th in 2024 and 16th in 2019. (ACI World (2025 rankings: movements), Jul 2026)
  • Delhi was not among ACI World's top 20 cargo airports for 2025. (ACI World (2025 rankings: cargo), Jul 2026)
  • OAG ranked Delhi 28th among its Top 50 International Megahubs for 2026, with a connectivity index of 126.0, up 11 places from 39th. (OAG (Megahubs 2026), 2026)
  • Delhi was 9th in OAG's Top 25 Low-Cost Megahubs for 2026, one of two South Asian airports on that list. (OAG (Megahubs 2026: low-cost), 2026)
  • All Indian airports together handled 420.03 million passengers in calendar 2025, up 4.80%, of whom 81.13 million were international and 338.91 million domestic, with 2,899.50 thousand aircraft movements and 3,897.84 thousand tonnes of freight. (Ministry of Civil Aviation (Annual Report 2025-26), Apr 2026)

ACI World counts total passengers and aircraft movements for calendar 2025, January to December, so its totals differ from GMR's fiscal-year figures and are not compared with them. OAG's megahub index measures possible scheduled connections on one peak day, not traffic. The Ministry's national totals are for calendar 2025 with December provisional. The top-20 point is read from ACI's table.

How do passengers rate Delhi Airport?

Passengers rate Delhi as the best airport in India and South Asia in Skytrax's survey, and it has climbed the world table each year since 2024. ACI's survey awards also rank it among the best large airports in Asia-Pacific, though its 2025 departures award was shared with eight other airports.

37th 2022 36th 2023 36th 2024 32nd 2025 28th 2026
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Delhi's place in Skytrax's World's Top 100 Airports each year; a lower number is a better rank. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one.
PeriodValue
202237th
202336th
202436th
202532nd
202628th
Delhi's place in Skytrax's World's Top 100 Airports each year; a lower number is a better rank. Each year comes from the release for that year; the link is to the latest one. (Skytrax (World's Top 100 Airports 2026), Mar 2026)

Skytrax rankings come from its own passenger survey and ACI's awards from its Airport Service Quality survey of departing passengers; neither measures traffic. The 2024 ASQ award and the customer experience accreditation are as reported by GMR.

How green is Delhi Airport?

Delhi holds the top level of ACI's Airport Carbon Accreditation and runs on renewable electricity, on ACI's register and the operator's reports. These cover the airport's own emissions, not those of the aircraft using it.

  • Indira Gandhi International Airport, run by Delhi International Airport (P) Ltd, is listed at Level 5 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation register. (ACI (Airport Carbon Accreditation register), Nov 2026)
  • GMR says Delhi is the largest airport in the world by passenger traffic to hold Level 5, and that Hyderabad's airport also held it in FY2026. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2025-26: environment), 2026)
  • Delhi ran on 100% renewable electricity in FY2026 (April 2025 to March 2026), with net zero carbon emissions for Scope 1 and 2, GMR says. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2025-26: environment), 2026)
  • All three terminals gained IGBC Net Zero Waste to Landfill Platinum certification in FY2026, and 120 anti-smog fogger units were put into service. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2025-26: environment), 2026)
  • About 95% of the airport's municipal solid waste, including food and recyclables, is kept out of landfill, DIAL says. (DIAL (zero waste release, Jul 2025), Jul 2025)
  • Delhi has more than 625 rainwater-harvesting structures, two underground reservoirs holding 9 million litres and a 16.6 million litres a day sewage plant, and DIAL calls it India's first water-positive airport with over 40 million passengers a year. (DIAL (water-positive release, Dec 2025), Dec 2025)
  • TaxiBot towing of aircraft at Delhi reached 1,000 movements by May 2021, saving about 532 tonnes of carbon and 214,000 litres of jet fuel, DIAL said. (DIAL (TaxiBot release, May 2021), May 2021)
  • DIAL put 57 electric vehicles into service in 2022, 21 airside and 36 landside, with 12 charging stations, and expected them to cut about 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. (DIAL (electric vehicles release, Oct 2022), Oct 2022)
  • At COP26 in November 2021 DIAL pledged to make Delhi a net zero carbon emission airport by 2030; it had been carbon neutral since 2016 and reached Level 4+ in 2020. (DIAL (COP26 release, Nov 2021), Nov 2021)
  • Solar capacity at the airport rose from 2.14 MW to 7.84 MW in FY2016 (April 2015 to March 2016), and the added 5.70 MW was expected to generate 8.5 million units of electricity a year. (GMR Infrastructure (Annual Report 2015-16), Aug 2016)
  • DIAL told the National Green Tribunal in 2025 that it runs five aircraft noise monitoring terminals under the approach and departure paths, at IIT Delhi Hauz Khas, Vasant Kunj, Dwarka Sector 24, Dwarka Sector 19 and RK Puram. (DIAL (reply to the National Green Tribunal), 2025)

Scope 1 and 2 emissions are the airport's own operations and the energy it buys; aircraft emissions are not included. Savings, "largest" and "first" are the operator's own estimates and descriptions. The noise monitoring figure comes from DIAL's reply in a case before the National Green Tribunal.

How big is Delhi Airport?

Delhi has four runways and three terminals, and DIAL says it is the only Indian airport with four operational runways. Terminal 1 was rebuilt in 2024 and Terminal 2 was due for refurbishment in 2025.

55,740 sq m Before 206,950 sq m After
View data table
Floor area of Terminal 1 before and after its rebuilding, in thousand square metres, from DIAL.
PeriodValue
Before55,740 sq m
After206,950 sq m
Floor area of Terminal 1 before and after its rebuilding, in thousand square metres, from DIAL. (DIAL (Terminal 1 release, Mar 2024), Mar 2024)

Terminal and runway figures are DIAL's, from its press releases. GMR, DIAL and ICRA give several different figures for Delhi's annual passenger capacity, so none is used here. Code C stands take narrow-body aircraft; a Code F runway can take the largest airliners.

How do passengers get through Delhi Airport and into the city?

Delhi was the first Indian airport to launch the government's Fast Track Immigration scheme, DIAL says, and DigiYatra face-based boarding has run there since December 2022. The Airport Express metro line links Terminal 3 with central New Delhi.

  • DigiYatra started at Delhi on 1 December 2022; about 2,500 passengers a day used it at Terminal 3 by early 2023, and DIAL estimated it saved 15 to 25 minutes from entry to security at peak times. (DIAL (DigiYatra release, Mar 2023), Mar 2023)
  • DigiYatra had been used more than 8 crore times across Indian airports by December 2025 and was live at 24 airports, including Delhi. (Ministry of Civil Aviation (Annual Report 2025-26), Apr 2026)
  • The Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme began at Terminal 3 in June 2024 with eight e-gates, four for arrivals and four for departures; it costs INR 2,000 per adult, INR 1,000 per minor and $100 per OCI cardholder. (DIAL (Fast Track Immigration release, Jun 2024), Jun 2024)
  • About 50 self-service bag drop units run across Terminals 1 and 3, and DIAL's Quick Drop cuts processing from about a minute to 30 seconds. (DIAL (Quick Drop release, Jun 2024), Jun 2024)
  • Ahead of winter 2023-24, Terminal 3 had 19 security X-ray machines, 14 baggage carousels and 15 DigiYatra lanes, DigiYatra use was almost 30%, and domestic peak slots at T3 were cut from 20 to 16, later 18. (DIAL (fog season release, Dec 2023), Dec 2023)
  • Special enclosures for passengers on flights delayed by fog or technical problems, of 250 to 450 square metres and holding 55 to 120 people, cut re-boarding from about 2.5 hours to a few minutes, DIAL says. (DIAL (fog enclosures release, Dec 2024), Dec 2024)

Processing times and usage figures are the operator's own estimates at the dates shown. The DigiYatra total is national, not Delhi alone.

How do you reach Delhi Airport by metro?

  • Trains on the Airport Express Line were to run at 120 km/h instead of 90 km/h after its extension in September 2023, with New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25, via the airport, taking about 21 minutes. (PMIndia (Airport Express Line extension), Sep 2023)
  • The Airport Line is 22.909 km long, plus a 2.008 km, one-station extension to Yashobhoomi, within a Delhi Metro network of about 352 km. (Delhi Government (Economic Survey 2025-26), Mar 2026)

The 21-minute journey runs to the new end station, past the airport stop. The line length is not a ridership figure.

Who owns and runs Delhi Airport?

Delhi Airport is run by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), controlled by GMR Airports with the state-owned Airports Authority of India as minority partner. Fraport, the German airport group, sold its stake to GMR in FY2025.

  • GMR Airports 74%
  • Airports Authority of India 26%
Shareholders in DIAL, the company that runs Delhi Airport, after GMR bought Fraport's stake, from GMR's FY2025 annual report. (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2024-25: ownership), 2025)
  • GMR Airports owns 74% of DIAL and the Airports Authority of India 26%; GMR's stake rose from 64% when it bought Fraport's 10% in FY2025 (April 2024 to March 2025). (GMR Airports (Annual Report 2024-25: ownership), 2025)
  • Fraport agreed in September 2024 to sell its Delhi Airport shares to GMR, ending its activities in India. (Fraport (Annual Report 2024), Mar 2025)
  • Fraport had invested in Delhi since April 2006, at a cost of about €40 million, under a 30-year concession to 2036 with an option to extend to 2066; it described Delhi as the capital city airport and the largest airport in India. (Fraport (Visual Fact Book 2023: Delhi), 2024)
  • GMR gives 2006 as the year the concession was awarded and 40 years of remaining life, assuming it is renewed; DIAL shares 45.99% of revenue with the Airports Authority of India. (GMR Airports (Q4 FY2026 results presentation: assets), May 2026)

Concession dates and the remaining life are each company's own statements. "Largest" is Fraport's description from its time as a shareholder.

How much money does Delhi Airport make?

DIAL returned to profit in FY2026 after much higher airport charges took effect in April 2025. ICRA upgraded its credit rating in 2025 and reaffirmed it in 2026.

INR 32,378m FY2025 INR 44,212m FY2026
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DIAL's standalone net income, in INR million, on GMR's presentation basis. FY2025 is April 2024 to March 2025 and FY2026 April 2025 to March 2026.
PeriodValue
FY2025INR 32,378m
FY2026INR 44,212m
DIAL's standalone net income, in INR million, on GMR's presentation basis. FY2025 is April 2024 to March 2025 and FY2026 April 2025 to March 2026. (GMR Airports (Q4 FY2026 results presentation), May 2026)

GMR's annual report, GMR's presentation and ICRA define revenue differently, so their income figures differ and are not compared; EBITDA and profit match between GMR's report and presentation. ICRA's FY2026 aeronautical revenue and FY2027 income are estimates and projections made in May 2026, and its April to December figures are not comparable with full years. 1 crore is 10 million rupees.

Will Noida International Airport take traffic from Delhi?

  • ICRA calls Noida International Airport, 72 km from Delhi's airport as the crow flies, with an initial capacity of 12 million passengers, a potential medium-term risk of traffic diversion for DIAL. (ICRA (DIAL rating rationale: Noida), May 2026)
  • Noida International Airport was due to start commercial flights on 15 June 2026, with IndiGo operating the first flight, Zurich Airport said in May 2026. (Zurich Airport (Noida opening), May 2026)

Noida International Airport is a separate airport, developed and run by Zurich Airport. Its figures are never added to Delhi's, and the risk is ICRA's assessment.

Glossary

DEL
The IATA code for Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.
IGIA
Indira Gandhi International Airport, the name GMR and DIAL use for Delhi Airport.
DIAL
Delhi International Airport Ltd, the company that runs Delhi Airport under a concession from the Airports Authority of India.
GMR Airports
The Indian airport group that controls DIAL and publishes Delhi's monthly traffic reports. It was formerly part of GMR Infrastructure.
AAI
Airports Authority of India, the state body that owns a minority stake in DIAL and runs most other Indian airports.
FY (fiscal year)
India's financial year, from 1 April to 31 March. FY2026 runs from April 2025 to March 2026.
Calendar year
January to December. ACI World, Fraport and the Ministry of Civil Aviation's national totals use calendar years.
ATM
Air traffic movement, a take-off or a landing. GMR's monthly reports count passenger ATMs only.
Lakh
An Indian number unit equal to 100,000.
Crore
An Indian number unit equal to 10 million. INR 1 crore is 10 million rupees.
MMT
Million metric tonnes, the unit GMR uses for cargo.
Transfer passenger
A passenger who changes planes at Delhi, between domestic flights, international flights or one of each.
ACI
Airports Council International, the trade body for airport operators. ACI World publishes global rankings and runs the ASQ survey.
ASQ
Airport Service Quality, ACI's survey of passengers at the airport, which underlies its customer experience awards.
Airport Carbon Accreditation
ACI's programme that certifies how airports manage their carbon emissions, from Level 1 to Level 5.
Skytrax
A UK company that ranks airports through its own survey of passengers.
OAG
An aviation data company that publishes airline schedules, seat counts and connectivity rankings.
AERA
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India, which sets airport charges for each five-year control period.
Control period
The five-year period for which AERA fixes an airport's charges. Delhi's fourth runs from April 2024 to March 2029.
ICRA
An Indian credit rating agency that rates DIAL's debt and publishes the reasons for its ratings.
EBITDA
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.
DigiYatra
India's face-recognition system that lets passengers pass airport entry and boarding gates without showing papers.
OCI
Overseas Citizen of India, a status for foreign citizens of Indian origin.
Code F
The aircraft size class that includes the largest airliners, such as the Airbus A380.

Methodology and sources

Figures come from GMR Airports' monthly traffic reports from 2023 to 2026, its annual reports from FY2015 to FY2026 and its investor presentations; DIAL's press releases; ACI World; Airport Carbon Accreditation; Skytrax; OAG; Fraport's annual reports and fact books; ICRA; the Ministry of Civil Aviation; the Press Information Bureau; the Prime Minister's Office; the Delhi Government; and Narita, Auckland, Mangaluru and Zurich airports. Each figure links to the body that produced it, with the date. GMR's fiscal-year totals, April to March, are the main series; ACI World's and Fraport's calendar-year figures are given with their own labels and never compared with them. GMR's monthly passenger-flight counts, its annual reports' wider flight counts and ACI's aircraft movements are kept apart, as are GMR's and Fraport's cargo. Where sources disagree, as on FY2025 growth and on Delhi's passenger capacity, the figures are left out. Forecasts and projections are labelled with who made them and when. The page is reviewed monthly and the date is shown at the top.