4 days ago
10
September 11, 2025 — 5:00am
The airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Delhi
The flight
Singapore Airlines SQ403 from Delhi to Singapore
The arrival
It’s a 75-minute journey from my hotel in New Delhi to the airport through evening peak-hour traffic that thins out as we approach the airport, on the southern outskirts of the capital. Departure is from Terminal 3, which handles international as well as many domestic flights. Security is tight from the get-go. Passengers only are allowed into the terminal, and they need to show a print-out of their booking or an e-ticket plus a passport to the military personnel at the gate.
The look
Bland but functional. Signage is good, and it’s relatively compact as major-league airports go, so no long walks to gates. Terminal 3 was opened in 2010 as part of a huge infrastructure overhaul to coincide with Delhi’s 2010 Commonwealth Games. Today it’s the ninth-busiest airport in the world, according to UK-based air consultancy firm OAG, and it feels crowded, with seating well short of passenger numbers.
Checking in
I’m flying premium economy, the queue is short, and when I’m called over to the business class check-in my heart skips a beat, but there’s no upgrade on offer. Staff on the Singapore Airlines desk are speedy, and I’m given boarding passes to Singapore and for my connecting flight to Sydney. Baggage is checked through.
Security
Once past the immigration desk there’s a long, snaking queue to get to the scanners. Plastic trays for phones and coins are at a premium, supply isn’t keeping up with demand, but this level of chaos will be familiar to anyone who has spent more than a day or two in Delhi. Once again, it’s the military doing the checking, and they’re thorough. It’s empty pockets, laptops, phones, liquids and lithium batteries out and belts off. There are separate queues for men and women and everyone gets the hand-scanner treatment and a light frisk, front, back and sides.
Food + drink
Located on the mezzanine floor, there are several bars, Costa Coffee, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, KFC, Starbucks and a McDonald’s. Options at the Asian food stalls include dosas, rotis and biryanis, but you’re not coming here for a memorable meal. Previous visits have inspired caution, and I’ve preloaded with a late lunch at my hotel.
Retail therapy
It’s the usual suspects: WHSmith, Levi’s, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Marks & Spencer and Hugo Boss. The Indian presence is limited to a Fabindia outlet, which sells colourful block-printed fabrics and bags, and Pantajali, for ayurvedic products and supplements.
Passing time
There are two Encalm lounges, one on the ground floor, which is accessible to some upper-echelon credit card holders and also for anyone prepared to pay for entry. Another Encalm Lounge, on the mezzanine floor, is for business class flyers travelling aboard airlines without a dedicated lounge of their own. The business version is enormous; it’s open plan, there are no quiet and calm spaces and the buffet food is under a perpetual state of siege. For those with a long layover, there are sleeping pods as well as a transit hotel. Since I don’t have a local phone number, I can’t access the terminal’s free Wi-Fi, but I still have plenty of credit on my eSIM.
The verdict
It feels cramped, and the facilities are well short of international standards, particularly in its food and beverage choices. However, major upgrades to Terminals 1 and 2 due for completion in 2025, as well as a second international and domestic airport opening at Noida, which should see some easing of the capacity constraints that have affected Indira Gandhi International Airport over the post-pandemic years.
Our rating out of five
★★
The writer travelled at his own expense.
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