10 Best Airports In India – 2023!

India has many best Airports making it the third-largest domestic civil aviation market in the world after the USA and China. There are a total of 486 airports located throughout India. 100 airports/aerodromes receive regular commercial flights, 123 airports with scheduled commercial flights including some with dual civilian and army use.

A total of 125 airports which includes 11 International Airports, 81 Domestic Airports, 08 Customs Airports, and 25 Civil Enclaves at Defense Airfields are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Airports don’t only connect cities and towns but also play a very significant role in our journey as they make our journey easier and more comfortable. With luxury travel slowly becoming affordable to the middle class, air travel has seen a never-before-increase. This has promoted India’s tourism and hotel industry and has strengthened its economy.

So, here is the list of the 10 Best Airports in India.

10 Best Airports In India – 2023

1. Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi

The busiest airport in India, Indira Gandhi International Airport is located in “New Delhi”, the capital of the country. It is the 6th busiest airport in Asia and the 12^th busiest airport in the world.

It is named after our former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It is spread over an area of 5,106 acres.

Currently, it handles 70 million passengers annually but It is expected that it will be able to handle about 100 million passengers in 2030. It has three parallel runways.

Delhi Airport has three terminals

• Terminal 1- It is used by low-cost carriers like Indigo and Spice Jet.
• Terminal 2 – Currently it is used by Go Air and Indigo to operate their daily flights.
• Terminal 3– It is used for International Flights

Services available at Indira Gandhi International Airport

• Restaurants and cafés
• Shops
• Duty-Free
• Baggage Carts
• Medical Services

2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai

CSMIA Mumbai is the busiest and one of the best airports in India and formerly known as Sahara International Airport. It is located in Andheri, 8 km north of downtown Mumbai.

This airport has 2 passenger terminals, T1 for low-cost domestic flights and T2 for international domestic operations. This is spread over a total area of 1850 acres.

 It can easily handle more than 950 aircraft moments in a day. It was awarded “World’s Best Airport” in 2017 for handling more than 40 million passengers annually and it also won the title of “Best Airport in India and Central Asia ”.

It’s easy to reach there by any public transport. It always provides the best services to its passengers.

Some services available at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

• Restaurants and cafés
• Shops
• Duty-Free
• Baggage Carts
• Medical Services
• Free Wi-Fi

3. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

Besides Delhi and Mumbai Airports, Kempegowda International Airport is the third busiest airport in India. It is located in “Bangalore”, Karnataka.

This was the first fully solar-powered Airport established in Karnataka. It is spread over an area of 4,000 acres.

It is the 29th busiest airport in Asia. It handles over 658 aircraft moments per day. This airport is voted the “Best Regional Airport in Asia and Central India.” This airport is named in the honor of the founder of Bangalore “Kempe Gowda.”

Some of the services and amenities available at Kempegowda International Airport

• ATMs
• Baby care facilities
• Business Center
• Currency exchange
• Duty-free stores
• Pharmacy

4. Chennai International Airport

It is the fourth busiest airport in India and also the 49^th busiest airport in Asia. It is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It handles more than 22.5 million passengers per year and over 570 aircraft moments per day.

It is all set to become India’s first airport to have a satellite terminal that will handle 40 million passengers per year. Chennai Airport is India’s first airport to have aerobridges at the domestic terminal. – Restaurants and bars

Services available at Chennai International Airport are

• Shops
• Duty-Free
• Information Counter
• Tourist and Railway Information Booths
• Currency exchange
• Security check
• Lost & found
• Vending machines
• Luggage carts

5. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata

Opened in 1924, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is the oldest airport in Kolkata. It is located in Dum Dum, Kolkata and it was named in the honor of “Subhas Chandra Bose” in 1995.

After Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai airports, it is the fifth busiest airport in India.

It handles over 20 million passengers every year and spreads over a total area of 1,641 acres. Kolkata airport has two parallel runways – A primary runway and a secondary runway.

The airport was awarded as the “Best Improved Airport” in the Asia Pacific region in 2014-15.

Here are some services available at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport

• Free Wi-Fi
• Baby care facilities
• ATMs
• Currency exchange
• Shops and Restaurants
• Duty-free stores
• Medical Services
• Pharmacy

6. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

 It is located in “Shamshabad” which is about 24 km away from the City of Pearls – Hyderabad. This airport is named after our former Prime Minister “Rajiv Gandhi.”

It is the sixth busiest airport in India. The airport has one passenger terminal and a cargo terminal.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is the only airport in India that is in the top 10 of Air Help’s list. The airport is spread over an area of 5400 acres and handles over 40 million passengers annually.

 See some services at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

• Free Wi-Fi
• Baby care facilities
• ATMs
• Currency exchange
• Shops and Restaurants

7. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad

The airport is located in Hansol, 9 km north of central Ahmedabad. The airport is a hub for TruJet and it is named after “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel”.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has two terminals – T1 for domestic flights and T2 for international and domestic flights. It handles over 9 million passengers every year.

Some services available at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport are

• Luggage services
• ATM’s
• Child care room
• SPA services

8. Cochin International Airport

The airport is located at Nedumbassery around 25 km northeast of Kochi. It is developed under the partnership of “Public-private partnership.” The airport is a hub for Air India Express. The airport handles over 10.2 million passengers per year.

Cochin International Airport is the world’s first fully solar-powered airport, it has one of India’s largest terminals (Terminal 3) and was also awarded as “Champion of the earth” in 2018.

See some services at Cochin International Airport

• Baggage trolleys
• Tourist Information desk
• Lost and found luggage desk
• Left Luggage
• Bank and Currency Exchange
• Restaurants and Bars

9. Pune International Airport

The airport is located in Pune, Maharashtra. It is the ninth busiest airport in India. It serves both, domestic and international flights. It is located 10 km northeast of downtown, Pune.

The airport handles over 8 million passengers annually and it has two terminals, but only one is used for flights. The new terminal and runway expansion will be constructed soon.

Amenities available at Pune Airport are

• Baby care room
• Currency exchange
• Shops and restaurants
• Medical services
• Post office
• Smoking lounges

10. Dabolim Airport, Goa

The airport is located in Goa, 30 kilometres away from the state capital Panjim. The airport handled over 7.6 million passengers in 2017-18. It is spread over a total area of 688 acres.

In December 2013, the airport’s integrated terminal building was constructed and it handles both domestic and international flights.

The airport has – 75 check-in counters, 8 customs counters, 18 immigration counters for arrivals, 22 immigration counters for departure, and 14 security check booths.

Amenities available at the airport are:

• Beautifully designed restaurants and cafes
• ATM’S
• Currency Exchange
• Shops
• Duty-Free
• Information Desk

Also Read: Best Places To Visit In India After The Coronavirus Pandemic