Flights to Delhi and the Indira Gandhi International Airport

By Brett Fenton

Popular destinations in India - Delhi
Arguably the number one destination for flights to India from the UK is Delhi. Flights are now readily available from most UK international airports including:

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Glasgow
• Leeds Bradford
• London Gatwick
• London Heathrow
• Manchester
• Newcastle

Direct flights to Delhi from the UK should take between 8.5 hrs to 9.5 hours depending on your actual airport of departure, plus wind and weather conditions. Many flights offered online will not fly directly to Delhi but will involve at least one stop en-route, usually in the host country of the airline. The duration of these non-direct flights will of course be determined by the number and length of stops. Be sure to check the flight itinerary when booking your flight. Non-direct flights will often, but not always, be cheaper.

Indira Gandhi International Airport

The Indira Gandhi International Airport
All UK to Delhi flights, will arrive at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), terminal 2. Renovation of the international terminal of Delhi Airport, is finally complete although many further improvements are planned. The airport has been notorious for the huge congestion, chaos, noise, slow progress and long queues. The private airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) claims that these issues are now a thing of the past. That however remains to be seen. I have heard that the number of immigration counters has now been increased but is still a bottleneck. More immigration officials have been employed in an effort to improve the problem. Likewise the number of departure check-in counters has gone up, but be sure to arrive in plenty of time. It is still unlikely that you will enjoy a quick passage through the airport whether arriving or departing. In the Arrival Visitors Area of the International Terminal you will find banks, bureaux de change and ATMs.

ATMs are also available within the domestic terminal if you are transferring to an internal flight. The Domestic Airport comprises of Terminal 1A, Terminal 1B and the domestic arrival terminal. Domestic flights of the Indian National Airlines and Alliance Air operate from Terminal 1A. Jet Airways, Air Sahara, executive aircraft and private aviation companies operate out of terminal 1B. You will find the Domestic Terminal is just 5km (3 miles) away from the International Terminal 2. A free bus service connecting the two operates every 30 minutes.

The city centre is 16 km (10 miles) from the airport. Airport buses leave for central Delhi, operating 24 hours a day and with a transfer time of approximately 45 minutes. Metered taxis can be found outside the airport, but in order to eliminate any uncertainty over fares, it could be considered preferable to use pre-paid taxis available via the taxi counter in arrivals. The journey time by taxi to the city centre is around 30 minutes.

Delhi is often seen as the gateway into India, but is worth considering as a destination for your holiday. There is much to do in and around the city and the surrounding areas. Places of interest abound, museums, ancient monuments and bazaars then in contrast, 21st century glass and steel shopping malls.

Go on, spoil yourself, look for those Flights to Delhi now.