Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has reported a 34 per cent year-on-year increase in East–West transit passengers, handling around 670,000 travellers between September 2024 and August 2025.

According to DIAL, Air India accounted for 67 per cent of this traffic, followed by IndiGo with 25 per cent. Together, the two airlines manage over 90 per cent of total passenger movement through the Delhi hub, operated by the GMR Group.

Delhi Airport has also reinforced its position as India’s primary gateway to Thailand, operating 120 weekly flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Don Mueang—representing 26 per cent of all India–Thailand services. A new connection to Krabi began on 26 October, further strengthening the network.

Beyond Thailand, Delhi’s Southeast Asia connectivity continues to expand. Air India plans to raise its weekly services to Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar (Bali) from seven to ten within the next month. Meanwhile, IndiGo will start daily flights to Hanoi from 20 December and to Guangzhou from 10 November. The Delhi–Guangzhou service will mark the first scheduled passenger flight between India and China since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Delhi also leads India’s eastbound connectivity to Japan, operating 28 weekly flights to Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports—equivalent to 70 per cent of all India–Japan routes. Japan Airlines is set to launch a new daily Delhi–Tokyo Narita service from 18 January 2026.

On the western front, Delhi Airport handles 38 per cent of India–UK flights. Air India will soon add a fourth daily service to London Heathrow, while IndiGo is preparing to launch its first long-haul international route between Delhi and Manchester from 15 November, deploying a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

“Whether it’s business travel to London, tourism to Bangkok, or cultural exchange with Tokyo, Delhi Airport connects India to the world — truly serving as the gateway between the East and the West,” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of DIAL.

Jaipuriar also noted that DIAL plans to raise the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity by about 20 per cent — from 105 million to 125 million — by the 2029–30 period, without the immediate replacement of Terminal 2.