All you need to know about the crazy congestions at Terminal 3 of IGI Airport in Delhi, and how to avoid them like it was a no big deal.
It was five in the morning. The lack of sleep and cacophony of the chaos all around was making me irritable. I looked around with my sleepy eyes — there were people everywhere. Restless, groggy, irritable, just like me. I looked behind to find that I had managed to make it to the sixth lane. I looked ahead and saw there were four more to go. All of a sudden, I started to envy the wailing toddler who just made his way through the crowds all the way to the security check. I wished I could cry and throw a fit to escape those long, dreaded, never-ending queues!
I did not expect my much-awaited trip to the Northeast India to begin this way two weeks back. I had it all planned — reach well ahead of time before the boarding starts, pack the smallest bag that didn’t need to be checked in, and sit peacefully before boarding gate, sipping on hot morning coffee and peacefully flipping through the last few pages of Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love. But instead, there I was, standing in a seemingly endless queue at one of the departure gates at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, wondering how did my plan fell flat!
The news of massive congestion at Delhi airport made rounds over the past few weeks, leading to complaints from passengers and embarrassing photos and videos circulating on social media. Airlines began advising passengers to reach the airport at least three or four hours prior to departure (for domestic flights) and carry a single piece of hand baggage to help expedite the boarding process.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had to come forward and announce a list of measures it was taking to fix the problem, that included providing real-time data on waiting times at entry gates, increased security personnel, installation of ‘count-meters’ and more X-ray machines, reduced number of flights during peak hours, and more. But there are also a few ways that you can adopt to avoid the rush.
How to avoid the rush at Delhi airport?
1. Reach early: Forget reaching at least three hours early for international travel and two hours early for domestic travel, like you usually used to. Make sure to reach at least 4.5 hours before your international boarding and 3.5 hours early in case of domestic flights.
2. Web check-in: This one is a no-brainer. If your luggage doesn’t need to be checked-in, avoid going to the counter and taking boarding pass. Better yet, do a web check in prior to reaching the airport, and skip through the long queues at the check-in counters.
3. Take specific gates: Do not just go and stand at the first gate you get dropped off at! There are eight gates in total at Terminal 3, and there’s usually way less crowd at gates 5, 6, and 7). Walk a little farther to one of these, and then breeze your way through it!
4. DigiYatra: Last but not the least, install DigiYatra app. It will help you enjoy paperless boarding! Some airports even offer dedicated lanes for DigiYatra users.
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