NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport 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 reputed 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 9th position in 2019 to 5th 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. IGIA can handle upto 10 crore passengers per year.
“Delhi airport has surpassed several established global hubs, including Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Singapore’s 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.
The rise in rankings marks a structural shift in Asia Pacific aviation, driven by India’s growing middle class, affordable airfares, and expanding airline capacity, it added.
CEO of Delhi International Airport Limited, Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said,“ Delhi Airport’s emergence among the top five busiest airports in the Asia Pacific region reflects the strength of India’s aviation growth story and the success of our long-term hub development strategy. Sustained expansion by our airline partners, particularly IndiGo and Air India, along with strong domestic connectivity and growing international networks, is enhancing Delhi’s position as India’s primary gateway and a key connecting hub between Asia and Europe.”
International departing seat capacity at the airport grew by 3% year-on-year, while international flight frequencies increased by 1%. A domestic seat base of around 3.28 crore (one-day departure only) has supported hub connectivity.
Asia and Europe routes see the fastest growth
IndiGo recorded 11% year-on-year growth in East Asia and 36% in Southeast Asia. Similarly, Air India registered 29% growth to Southeast Asia and 18% on Europe routes. This eastbound expansion is increasingly feeding long-haul Europe connectivity, positioning Delhi as an emerging India–Asia–Europe connecting bridge.
Unlike in the past which was dominated by the growth of low-cost carrier carriers, IndiGo recorded 8% year-on-year growth in international seats, while the Air India group registered 2% growth. “Both airlines increased international frequencies by around 1–3%.
New destinations:
Over the past year, airlines have added 11 new destinations from Delhi, widening both domestic reach and international access. Domestic additions are Bhuj, Trichy, Jorhat, Purnia, Navi Mumbai, and Rewa while international routes are Manila, Krabi, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Manchester.
The top 5
The top 5 busiest airports in Asia Pacific as per OAG: 1. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda); 2. Shanghai Pudong International Airport; 3. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport 4. Beijing Capital International Airport and 5. IGIA. OAG rankings measure the total number of seats planned by airlines for specific routes or airports within a given time frame rather than passenger occupancy.