The Delhi Airport has been seriously affected by the Christmas rush, with disgruntled customers griping on social media about missing flights and long pre-boarding lineups. Twitter users shared images of Delhi International Airport Ltd. being overcrowded and complaining about the long lines for security checks and poor management by airport workers.
The government has stepped in to address the airport chaos, with India’s civil aviation ministry saying in a statement that it is working with airlines to reduce flight departures to 14 during peak hours. It did not, however, reveal data for normal traffic.
Here is all that you need to do to catch your flight in peace:
- Peak hours are 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. If possible, avoid taking flights during these times.
- Passengers should arrive at the airport 3.5 hours before their scheduled domestic flight.
- During domestic travel, passengers are advised to use the DigiYatra service at Terminal 3. DigiYatra is a MoCA and DigiYatra Foundation initiative, and with this technology, passengers’ entry to the airport, pre-security check area, and boarding gates would be processed automatically based on facial recognition.
- Carry only one piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 7 kg to ensure a smooth security check.
- To make things even easier, avoid carrying ladies purses, overcoats, rugs, excessive reading material, duty-free purchases, and so on in your hand luggage.
- To save time, complete your web-check-in process before your flight.
- Use the gate closest to the counter of the flight you are taking. If you’re flying Indigo from Terminal 3, for example, use gates 5 and 6.
- Additional ATRS (Automatic Tray Retrieval System) baggage check machines will be installed at T3 domestic. Use them to avoid traffic.
- At each entry gate, digital display boards displaying the waiting time will be installed, as will at least one waiting time board at the terminal checkpoint. Continue to monitor the updates.
- For the most recent information, follow the flight’s Twitter handle.