NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been ranked among the top five busiest airports in the Asia Pacific aviation market in 2025, surpassing Singapore’s Changi and South Korea’s Incheon airports, reveals data from aviation analytics firm OAG.
Air traffic expansion toward East and Southeast Asia, alongside Europe, has driven the strong growth.
IGIA, operated by GMR Aero-led consortium, has climbed rapidly in the rankings—from the ninth position in 2019 to the fifth spot in 2025. One-way departure seats from the airport, totalling 4.61 crore in 2025, helped it attain this distinction.
An official release attributed Delhi airport’s growth to the expansion by leading airlines IndiGo and Air India. “The Delhi airport has surpassed several established global hubs, including Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Singapore Changi Airport and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport,” the release said.
“These airports had significantly higher capacity than Delhi prior to the pandemic, underscoring the scale of India’s aviation growth,” it explained.
Air traffic expansion driving up growth
The rise in IGIA’s rankings marks a structural shift in Asia Pacific aviation, driven by India’s growing middle class, affordable airfares, and expanding airline capacity. Air traffic expansion toward East and Southeast Asia, alongside Europe, has driven the strong growth.