Delhi airport among 10 best hub airports in Asia Pacific and Middle East regions: Report

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi, the only Indian airport on the hub connectivity list, is at the tenth spot.

Hub airports serve as central connecting points for flights from different routes to facilitate the transfer of cargo and passengers. The rankings were released on Wednesday by the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID).

The 2025 edition of the ACI rankings introduced a ‘Hub Connectivity Index’, which evaluates airports on the quality and effectiveness of their hub operations.

The index considers factors such as transfer viability and window timings, route deviations from optimal paths, and strength and reach of onward connectivity.

“We are immensely proud and honoured that the Delhi airport has been recognised as one of the top 10 hub airports in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region in the 2024 Air Connectivity Ranking by Airports Council International,” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the IGIA.

The government has been attempting to develop IGIA as a global transit hub, with Delhi airport providing connectivity to 153 destinations (81 domestic and 72 international), according to an official statement by DIAL.

Delhi connects to 88% of India’s long-haul destinations and operates 56% of all India-origin long-haul weekly flights, the statement underlines. It also states that the airport has significantly broadened its global footprint by adding over 20 exclusive international destinations in recent years. New routes include Phnom Penh, Bali Denpasar, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, Tokyo Haneda, and more.