NEW DELHI: Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) handled around 19 lakh transfer passengers in May 2026, accounting for 27 per cent of its total traffic of 71.4 lakh passengers during the month, according to airport operator GMR Airports Ltd.
The figure translates to an average of 56,000 transfer passengers per day and marks a significant increase from April 2026, when the airport recorded 15.4 lakh transfer passengers, representing 23 per cent of total traffic.
"This upward trend is even more pronounced year-on-year, with the share of transfer passengers increasing from around 20% in May 2025 to 27% in May 2026,” the airport operator said in a release.
"Domestic-to-Domestic (D-D) transfers continue to be the largest contributor, accounting for 61% of total transfer traffic, underscoring Delhi Airport's critical role in connecting metropolitan cities with emerging economic centres, tourism destinations and regions across the country," the release said.
Popular transfer routes include Pune–Delhi–Srinagar, Srinagar–Delhi–Pune and Kolkata–Delhi–Srinagar. .
The airport also reported growth in international transfer traffic, with key transit flows on routes such as Ahmedabad–Delhi–Toronto, Phuket–Delhi–London Heathrow, Dubai–Delhi–Patna and Kathmandu–Delhi–Tokyo.
“This highlights the airport's increasing importance as a strategic gateway linking South Asia with major destinations across North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region,” the release said.
The airport's hub ecosystem is supported by airline partners IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express, which account for a substantial share of transfer traffic through Delhi.
Pradeep Panicker, Chief Executive Officer of Delhi International Airport Limited, said, "The steady growth in transfer passenger traffic is a strong endorsement of Delhi Airport's position as India's leading aviation hub. Today, more than one in every four passengers travelling through Delhi Airport is a transit passenger, reflecting the confidence that airlines and travellers place in our connectivity, operational efficiency and seamless travel experience. With India emerging as one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally, Delhi Airport is uniquely positioned to serve as a key gateway connecting domestic and international networks.”
Panicker added that despite challenges facing the aviation sector, including the West Asia crisis and high aviation turbine fuel prices, DIAL continues to work with domestic and international carriers to strengthen connectivity, align networks, support transfer passengers and maintain its position as one of the region's largest transfer hubs.
