Top International Airports in India
What is the international airport?
As the name suggests, an international airport is an airport that offers flights to or from one or more foreign countries to enable people to travel between countries. Besides this, as per International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, an airport that offers customs and immigration services and border control facilities, including the quarantine zone and emergency medical facilities, can be defined as an international airport.
There are plenty of international airports in India that offers you flights to almost every country of the world and all major destination around the globe. Let us see some of the famous international airports in India.
- Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
- Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai
- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata
- Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore
- Chennai International Airport, Chennai
- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
- Pune International Airport, Pune
- Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur
- Dabolim Airport, Goa
- Trivandrum International Airport, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
- Coimbatore International Airport, Coimbatore
- Cochin International Airport, Cochin
- Jaipur International Airport, Jaipur
1. Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi:
It is the largest international airport in India, located in New Delhi, the capital city of India. It is named after the first women prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi. This airport spreads over an area of around 5000 acres, and there are around 80 international flights to fly abroad. It is also known as one of the busiest airports in the world owing to the footfall of over 50 million passengers in a year.
It has won two awards at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015, one for the Best Airport in Central Asia and another one for ‘Best Airport Staff in Central Asia. Furthermore, in the Airport Service Quality Programme for 2018, it was declared as the best airport in the Asia Pacific “in the category of over 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA)” by the Airport Council International (ACI).
Besides this, the availability of shopping outlets, exotic restaurants, appealing ambiance, and proper signage, are some of the factors that contributed a lot to the growing popularity of IGI airport.
Facilities at IGI Airport:
- 168 check-in counters, 78 aerobridges, 130 immigration counters, and 92 automated walkways
- Luggage storage facility for the passengers
- Free Wi-Fi for the passengers at all terminals
- Currency Exchange counters and ATMs are available
- Facility of lost and found baggage counter
- Wheelchairs and paramedics are available for passengers with special needs
- Lounge facility that includes the shower, massage, nap lounges
- Smoking zone, parking facility, etc.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai:
Formerly it was known as Sahar International Airport. Later it was named after the great Maratha king of 7th century Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle. It is located between the suburbs of Sahar and Santa Cruz in the Mumbai city of the Maharashtra state of India.
It is the second busiest airport in India after the IGI airport in Delhi. It is spread over an area of 1450 acres that enables it to serve more than 40 million travellers in a year. It is upgraded regularly in terms of technology, facilities, and comfort to suit passenger needs.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminals:
It has two main terminals; Terminal 1 for domestic arrivals and departures and Terminal 2 for international arrivals and departures. These terminals are further divided into different terminals.
Facilities:
It offers all the facilities that one can expect from an international airport, such as:
- 208 check-in counters, 136 immigration counters, 161 elevators, and 2400 CCTV cameras.
- ATMs and foreign currency exchange
- Restaurants, bars, shopping outlets
- Pharmacy, first aid, and paramedical services
- Smoking lounges, childcare rooms
- Lounges to ensure a comfortable journey for the passengers
- Free Wi-fi
- Wheelchairs and toilets facility for disabled persons.
3. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata:
This airport was named after the famous nationalist leader of the Indian Independence Movement Subhash Chandra Bose. It is located at the Dum Dum area in the Kolkata city of West Bengal, India, and covers an area of 2460 acres. It is the fastest-growing airport in the country owing to the 27 % increase in the passengers per annum.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport Terminals:
Its terminal T2 has been modified and designed recently and is integrated with smart features and outlook that reflects the real beauty of Kolkata.
Facilities:
- Money: Banks and bureaux de change are available throughout the airport.
- Food: coffee shops, bakeries, restaurants, and more.
- Shopping: duty-free shops for passengers gift ships and various other retail stores
- Luggage: Luggage trolleys and lost and found service are available free of cost for passengers.
- Communication facilities: Wifi and post office are available.
- Other: Prayer room, Childcare room, smoking lounge, first aid, and medical assistance for minor emergencies.
4. Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore:
The Kempegowda International Airport is located at Devanahalli at a distance of 40 km from the Bangalore city of the Karnataka state of India. It extends over an area of 4000 acres and is the largest and busiest airport in South India; it handles around 25 million passengers in a year. It has a transit hotel for the passengers to relax during a halt or layover.
Terminals: It has one terminal T1, which is used for both domestic and international flights. However, on seeing the increasing number of passengers, it was planned in October 2018 that a second terminal would be constructed by the end of March 2021.
Facilities:
- Exotic lounges to relax and unwind
- Free wireless internet
- Buggy service for senior citizens, disabled persons, and women with children
- Duty-free shops selling a wide range of products in perfumes, liquors, tobacco, apparel, cosmetics, and more
- Day hotel only for passengers with flight tickets or boarding passes. It remains open 24/7.
- Sleep pods to take a nap
- Other facilities include currency exchange, ATMs, restrooms, showers, check-in kiosks, lost and found, restaurants, and more.
5. Chennai International Airport, Chennai:
Chennai International Airport, formerly known as the Madras International Airport, is situated on the GST Road in the Meenambakkam region of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is one of the busiest airports in India; around 20 million passengers travel through this airport in a year, and over 400 aeroplanes arrive and depart in a day. Its Anna Terminal offers flights to 20 international destinations across the world. Although it is already equipped with all facilities and has an advanced infrastructure, it is undergoing a major redevelopment to fulfil modern times airport requirements. It is also a regional headquarters of Airport Authority of India (AAI) in South India.
Chennai airport terminals:
There are two main terminals in this airport, one is Kamaraj Terminal, which offers domestic flights, and another one is Anna Terminal that offers international flights. Both the terminals have two entry gates, so there are a total of four entry gates to the airport. Besides this, there are nine boarding gates at the domestic terminal and six boarding gates at the international terminal. For detailed information, you can visit the Chennai airport’s official website.
Facilities at Chennai International Airport:
- Luggage storage facility: Passengers can store luggage for up to one week.
- Airport Lounges: Free access to airport lounges at both the domestic and international terminals. Travel Club International lounge, which serves alcohol to passengers, remains open 24/7.
- Wi-Fi Services: Free of cost for 45 minutes. You need to have an Indian phone number on which you will receive the PIN to use the network.
- ATMs and Currency Exchange facility: The facility of ATMs to withdraw cash and the facility of currency exchange counters at both the terminals for international passengers. Other services include food and drinks, duty-free shopping, baby care facilities, and more.
6. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati:
It is also known as Guwahati International Airport. It is located at Guwahati in the state of Assam, India. It is named after the famous freedom fighter, who was also the first chief minister of Assam, Gopinath Bordoloi. It is also one of the prominent Indian Air Force Bases in the northeast region of the country.
It was established in 1958, since then it has undergone expansions and renovations multiple times. In 2017, it served around 4 million passengers in a year.
Guwahati Airport Terminals:
Terminal 1: It is for the domestic flights that fly 24/7. It is connected to all major cities of India by air.
Terminal 2: It is for international flights that fly to all major cities and countries across the world.
Facilities at Guwahati Airport: It offers almost all the facilities that passengers can expect from an international airport, such as ATMs, Foreign currency exchange counters, restaurants, shopping outlets, baggage services, duty-free shops, and more.
7. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad:
It is located in the Hansol region of the Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is named after the great leader of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was also the former Indian Prime Minister. In the fiscal year of 2017 to 2018, it had handled more than 9 million passengers.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport Terminals:
At present, it has three terminals and a single runway of 3505 meters in length.
Terminal 1: It handles domestic passengers and flights.
Terminal 2: It handles overseas flights and passengers.
Terminal 3: It mainly acts as an overflow terminal for the hajj pilgrimage during their arrival.
Facilities: All basic and modern facilities are available for domestic and international travel.
8. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad:
It is located in Shamshabad city in Hyderabad, India. It is named in honour of the Rajiv Gandhi, a former prime minister of India. It is also one of the busiest airports in India; as per the reports of the fiscal year 2017-18, it had handled over 18 million passengers this year. It is the largest airport in India in terms of area; spread over 5459 acres of land. It was also the first airport in India that introduced E-Boarding for all domestic passengers.
Terminals: One integrated terminal for both the domestic and international travel related arrivals and departures and another one for handling Haj Terminal.
Facilities: It provides all facilities required for a safe and comfortable journey by air.
9. Pune International Airport, Pune:
It is located at Lohegaon, which is at a distance of 10 km from the city of Pune. In reality, it is an extension of the Lohegaon Air Force Station, which came forward to help people travel to and from the Pune. In the year 2018-19, it handled more than 9 million passengers in a year.
Due to some limitations in handling the rapidly increasing passengers, one more international airport will be built in the city by the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Airport.
Terminals: Although it has two runways, it has only one passenger terminal for domestic and international flights, and the second one is reserved for the Indian Air Force. The passenger terminal has 26 check-in counters and two aerobridges.
Facilities: It is provided with all the basic and modern times facilities related to domestic and international air travel.
10. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur:
It is located at Sonegaon, 8km away from Nagpur city of the Maharashtra state of India, and is named after Dr. Ambedkar, who is knowns as the architect of the Indian Constitution. The Nagpur airport spans over an area of around 1400 acres with a capacity of handling more than 1 million passengers, 14500 aircraft, and 9000 tonnes of cargo in a year.
It is strategically located in central India, so it is planned to develop it as a Multimodal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN). As per this plan, it will be a major international passenger and cargo hub and a major contributor to the growing economy around the airport. Besides this, it also used as a training ground for the flying club.
Terminals: Terminal 1: It handles only domestic and regional flights within the country. It is provided with two boarding gates and one extra grate in case of an emergency.
Terminal 2: It hosts international flights to the Middle East. During hajj festival, there is a facility of an extra terminal for the pilgrims.
Facilities: All basic and modern times facilities are available for passengers that range from currency exchange counters to exotic restaurants, lounges, spas, duty-free shops, and more.
11. Dabolim Airport, Goa:
It is located in the Dabolim, 30 km away from the Panaji, the capital city of Goa, India. It is spread over 1840 acres of land and is both a civil and a military airport. At present, it is owned by the Indian Navy and the Govt. of Goa. Besides this, it is also used as a launch pad for the military. It handles more than 700 international flights in a year.
More than 5 million passengers travelled by air through Goa airport in the fiscal year of 2018-19. On seeing the increase in the number of tourists, a new airport is planned to be constructed at Mopa in North Goa to reduce the traffic at Dabolim airport.
Terminals: One terminal caters to domestic flights, and has the capacity to handle 350 arrivals and departures simultaneously, another one handles the overseas flights with a capacity of handling 250 international arrivals and departures simultaneously.
Facilities: It has all the facilities to make your journey pleasant and comfortable such as duty-free shops, restaurants, currency exchange counters, ATMs, lounges, and more.
12. Trivandrum International Airport, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala:
It is situated in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala, India. It is one of the busiest airports in India; it has managed the travel of more than 4 million passengers in 2017. It is spread over an area of 700 acres and is the only airport in India which is so close to a sea. In addition to the civil operation, it also serves the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guards.
Terminals: There are two terminals; one for domestic flights and one for international flights.
Facilities: The facilities in this airport include duty-free shops, wine bar, currency exchange counters, ATMs, restrooms, baggage counters, and more.
13. Coimbatore International Airport, Coimbatore:
It is located in the Peelamedu, which is around 12 kilometres away from the Coimbatore city of the Tamil Nadu state of India. It is the second biggest airport in Tamil Nadu after the Chennai Airport. It was established in 1940 and later renovated in 1987.
It got the status of an international airport in October 2012 by the then government of Tamil Nadu. It is used as a hub by Air carvinal, a privately-run airline. In 2018, it handled 2.9 million passengers, which was 27 % more than the previous year traffic.
Terminals: It has only one terminal that handles both domestic and international flights. Occasionally, it is used as a Hajj Charter for Muslim pilgrims to Mecca.
Facilities: It has ATMs and currency exchange counter, Free Wi-Fi, lost and found counter, duty-free shops, restaurants, lounges to relax and unwind and more, 24 hours food options, mobile charging points emergency medical services, and more.
14. Cochin International Airport, Cochin:
It is located in the Nedumbassery 30km from the Kochi city of the Kerala state of India. It is constructed with a public-private partnership. It is the first international airport in the world that is fully operated by solar power. In 2018, it was nominated for the ‘Champions of the Earth’ award by the United Nations for its positive environmental efforts.
Terminals: There are a total of three terminals in this airport; domestic, international, and a new terminal T3. The domestic terminal is spread over an area of 120000 sq. ft. with a capacity to handle 400 arrivals and 400 departures. The International terminal is spread over an area of 15, 00,000 sq. ft. The new terminal T3 is added to the existing international terminal to handle the increasing traffic of international passengers.
Facilities: All facilities of the international level to ensure safe and comfortable journeys are available at this airport.
15. Jaipur International Airport, Jaipur:
It is located in Sanganer, which is situated at a distance of 13 kilometres from the Jaipur city of the Rajasthan state of India. In the beginning, it was a domestic airport. Later it became an international airport in December 2005 to assist the flights from other countries.
Terminal: Terminal 2, which has been built recently, handles both domestic and international flights. The airport has a very attractive infrastructure. The sandstone and stones of Dholpur are used in constructing the entrance gate. On the walls, you can see local paintings reflecting Rajasthani culture and traditions.
Facilities: It is fully equipped with all basic and modern times facilities related to domestic and international air travel.