[3][10] As of 2024, it is the tenth-busiest airport in the world, as per the latest rankings issued by the UK-based air consultancy firm OAG.

[16] Established by the British during the Second World War as RAF Palam, the airport served as a staging ground for Allied aerial efforts in Asia.

After India was granted independence, the Indian Air Force assumed operational management of the airport.

[8] The airport inaugurated a 4,400 m (14,400 ft) runway and the 2.1 km (1.3 mi) Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) with dual parallel aircraft bridges in July 2023.

Founded during the Second World War by the British Raj to support Allied military operations in Asia, it served as a staging ground for Royal Air Force flights.

[27] Russia's decision to open its airspace after the Cold War allowed the airline to save time by flying a direct route over the Arctic.

[28] Even though the 11 September attacks precipitated a global decline in air travel, Canada 3000 was hoping that the service would help it bolster and improve its financial standing.

[30] Significant growth in the Indian aviation industry led to a major increase in passenger traffic.

[33] Terminal 3's construction lasted for 37 months, and, upon becoming operational, increased the airport's total passenger capacity by 34 million.

In June 2022, Delhi International Airport became the first in India to operate entirely on hydro power and solar energy.

[42]In the winter of 2005, Delhi Airport experienced a record number of disruptions due to fog and smog.

The initially proposed mode, which involved simultaneous takeoffs in a westerly flow to increase handling traffic capacity, resulted in several near misses over the west side of the airport, where the centerlines of runways 10/28 and 9/27 intersect.

[43] The runway use was changed to a segregated dependent mode on 25 December 2007, just a few days after a near miss involving an Airbus A330-200 of Qatar Airways and an IndiGo A320 aircraft.

The long threshold displacement was necessitated by the presence of a 263 m high Shiv statue located near runway 29L.

Indian carriers operating international flights from this terminal include Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet.

This milestone was marked by the launch of a Thai AirAsiaX direct flight between Delhi and Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport.

[63] India's first general aviation terminal was commissioned at Indira Gandhi International Airport in September 2020.

The terminal is designed to support the movement and processing of passengers traveling through chartered flights or private jets from the airport.

[64][65] The air cargo complex at Indira Gandhi International Airport is located 1 km (0.62 mi) from Terminal 3.

Ltd., a joint venture between Delhi International Airport Private Ltd (DIAL) and the Turkish company Celebi Ground Handling (CGH).

[67] CGH was awarded the contract by DIAL in November 2009 to develop, modernise, and finance the existing cargo terminal, with operations scheduled for a period of twenty-five years.

The terminal underwent significant refurbishment following a fire that damaged the interior in October 1996[70] , and further upgrades were carried out by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL).

[71] DIAL had initially intended to repurpose the terminal for Hajj operations and charter flights; however, these plans were never realised.

Bijwasan railway station, located immediately to the west of IGI on the Delhi–Jaipur line, is currently undergoing major redevelopment to transform it into a state-of-the-art regional multimodal transport hub.

[223] Air-conditioned, low-floor buses operated by Delhi Transport Corporation provide scheduled, recurring, and regular public transit services between the airport and the city.

In September 2024, DIAL issued tenders for the construction of an elevated and at-grade Automated People Mover (APM) system, with an expected completion date by the end of 2027.

This APM system will be the first of its kind at an Indian airport and is proposed to be implemented under the design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) model.

[228] Urban Extension Road-II is a 75.7 km-long, six-lane expressway that connects IGI Airport to the southern, southwestern, and western suburbs of Delhi.

Choubey, outlining the expansion of the airport with the construction of a new fourth runway and Terminal 4 in a phased manner.

[239] This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Media related to Indira Gandhi International Airport at Wikimedia Commons