The Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport) is a major international aviation hub in New Delhi, the capital city of India. It is situated at Palam area in New Delhi. To reach the IGI Airport, the Delhi Metro is the most easiest and the quickest mode of transport. The IGI Airport is named after Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It covers a vast area of 5106 acres. This is equivalent to 4000 football fields! It is also the busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic as well as cargo traffic. It handles 70 million passengers each year. This makes it the 12th busiest airport in the world and the 6th busiest airport in Asia. With the current expansion program underway, this airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers by the year 2030.
The IGI Airport handles over 1200 flight operations each day. With so many passengers using the airport every day, it is imperative that transport to the airport is quick, easy and hassle free. This is where the Delhi Metro steps in. So, how does one reach the IGI Airport via Metro?
Metro – The Lifeline of Delhi
The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system that serves New Delhi and NCR comprising of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurganj and Ballabhgarh. It is the biggest and the busiest metro in India. It operates over 2700 trips each day. Since its commencement in 2002, it has become the lifeline of Delhi and NCR. It is the 12th longest metro in the world in terms of length and 16th largest in terms of ridership. It transports around 2.76 million passengers each day and also boasts a punctuality record of 99.7%!
The Delhi Metro has 7 color-coded lines that cover 231 kms and serve 173 stations. The Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line or the Orange Line connects to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The line has 6 stations – New Delhi Metro Station, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaulakuan, Delhi Aerocity, IGI Airport and Dwarka Sector 21. All of them are known as City Airport Terminals. They have explosive detectors, large X-ray baggage scanners, under vehicle scanners, quick reaction teams and dog squads to ensure a high level of security of commuters. The trains on this line travel at a speed of 135km/h as opposed to 80km/h on the rest of the metro lines.
How to reach IGI Airport via Metro?
The Delhi Metro Airport Express is by far the safest, quickest, easiest and the most cost-effective mode of transport to reach the IGI Airport via metro. It has reduced the travel time to the airport from a minimum of one hour to only 20 minutes! It starts from New Delhi Metro Station and ends at Dwarka Sector 21. If you have to catch a flight and are reaching New Delhi by train, the metro will prove to be a blessing to you. To reach the IGI Airport via metro you must exit the New Delhi Railway Station from the Ajmeri gate side and walk to New Delhi Metro Station which is right opposite. Walking time between the two is only two minutes.
Where to get off and how much does it cost?
The Airport Express line has two stations in the vicinity of Delhi Airport: Delhi Aerocity and the International Terminal 3. One-way fare on the Airport Express is Rs. 50 till Delhi Aerocity and Rs. 60 till Terminal 3 of the IGI Airport. The Terminal 3 metro station is an underground station that connects to the Terminal Building. It is also accessible from the Domestic Terminal 2. Both the Terminals are just a 5 minute walk apart. However, Domestic Terminal 1 is not a part of the Airport Express Line. It fall on the Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro. Baggage limits also apply on this line. A passenger flying from Terminal 1 who wishes to avail the facilities of the Airport Express can use the transfer buses from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 or the Shuttle buses from Delhi Aerocity to Terminal 1.
Check in Facility
The Airport Express Line boasts of the first check in facility outside of the Airport in South Asia. If a passenger is departing from Terminal 3 of the IGI Airport and travelling on Air India, Jet Airways or Vistara Airlines, they could check in their baggage and get the boarding pass at New Delhi Metro Station and Shivaji Stadium Metro Station. This enables the passengers to travel luggage- free in the metro. This facility is available 12 – 2 hours before departure of the flight.
Timings and Frequency of the Trains
The trains between New Delhi Metro Station and IGI Airport station run between 4.45 am and 11.40 pm each day. The frequency of the trains is very good. There is a train every 10 minutes during peak hours (8am – 8 pm) and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours.
What’s New?
Free high-speed Wi-Fi services have been very recently launched on the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line. It is the first such facility in a country in the South Asian region. Delhi Metro’s T3 station has also launched a premium porter service for the benefit of passengers.
The Delhi Metro Airport Express has brought an end to the traffic woes of people flying in and out of Delhi. It has brought about the advent of cutting-edge technology and state of the art facilities in India and. It serves as an inspiration for other cities to follow.
