Delhi Airport’s struggle with crowd management continues as passengers increasingly take flights in the busy winter travel season. In the last several days, passengers flying out of India’s capital city have complained of serpentine queues and even missed flights due to long waiting times for check-ins and security screenings.Airlines have started issuing advisories to reach the airport hours in advance, and the country’s aviation minister also made a surprise visit to the airport to take stock of the situation.

Plan to decongest Delhi Airport

Long waiting lines, overcrowded spaces, and missed flights have defined operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport in the last several days. Social media posts of passengers clearly detail the chaos inside the terminals, with people waiting to get their boarding passes issued and at security checks.

All of this prompted India’s Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to visit Delhi Airport and assess the situation himself. He had a conversation with airport and airline officials to ease the current problem, and several suggestions are being considered.

Five key problem areas have been identified. These are:

1. Entrance
2. Check-in area
3. Security check
4. Immigration
5. Peak hour flights

According to the plan, digital display boards will show the wait time at every terminal gate. Airlines have also been asked to keep staff at the counters during peak hours continuously. Tray retrieval machines have been increased from 13 to 16 at Terminal 3 security checks, and more workforce will be deployed at the immigration counters.

Reducing the number of flights during peak hours and shifting some flights to other terminals is also being explored. The security check seems to be the biggest problem, and the aviation ministry has commented,

“Additional automatic tray retrieval system (ATRS) machines for baggage check will be deployed. Before Covid-19, we had 13 ATRS machines installed. This number has been increased to 16 (10 ATRS plus six conventional x-ray machines) in the past few days. This will be increased further to 17 soon and subsequently to 20.”

IndiGo issues advisory

Airlines have also had to deal with disgruntled passengers in Delhi and are now advising them to reach the airport hours before the scheduled departure. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has issued an official advisory on Twitter, asking passengers to reach Delhi Airport at least 3.5 hours before the scheduled departure.

It has even advised to carry only one handbag if possible for a smoother security check and to use gates 5 and 6 at Terminal 3, as they are the closest to the airline’s counters.

Indeed, if one is planning to fly from Delhi during the peak hours (5 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 8 pm), it would make sense to be as prepared as possible. This includes exploring digital options, such as web check-ins and the DigiYatra facility, which uses facial recognition technology at security checks and boarding gates.

It is also advisable to check the airport’s and airlines’ websites and social media accounts for any rule updates to avoid last-minute chaos.

What do you feel about Delhi Airport’s current situation? Please leave your comments below.