Delhi airport gets crowded; some airlines issue advisory to reach 3.5 hours prior to departure

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport is in the news for facing chaos and congestion as passengers have been facing long queues for the check-in process. Social media has been flooded with memes regarding this, along with complaints of congestion and long waiting hours in queues at the airport.With regard to this, many airlines have even issued an advisory and asked passengers to reach the airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departure.

Referring to this situation, a top bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) official stated that Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s security infrastructure ‘has frozen over time’ and failed to keep pace with the increase in passengers and flights, while a parliamentary panel has also announced its decision to summon the airport’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The BCAS official further added that the airport must keep a watch on the number of flights, which should be in line with the infrastructure. If reports are to go by, the average number of flights per hour from the IGI Airport’s Terminal 3 is between 19 to 21 during peak hours, while officials added that the 13 X-ray machines currently available are capable of handling passengers for up to 15 flights per hour only.

Reportedly, such lapses have led to long queues at entry gates, check-in desks, because of which many passengers have complained of missing their flights. In short, IGI Airport’s Terminal 3 is struggling to manage the rush as of now, for which some airlines have even advised its passengers to arrive at the airport 3.5 hours before domestic flights.