Chaos At Delhi Airport: Commuters Share Photos And Videos On Social Media

Edelweiss Mutual Fund MD and CEO Radhika Gupta recently shared her experience of chaos at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. She described being stuck in a long security queue, only making it to her flight due to the assistance of airline staff.

Gupta highlighted the severity of the situation by quoting an airline staff member who mentioned that the average wait time at security was 256 minutes, approximately 4.26 hours. "I saw this myself. A harrowed (don't blame him) airline staff told me the average wait time at security was 256 minutes. 256 minutes," she wrote.

Travellers Share Videos, Pictures

Passengers have been sharing videos and pictures on X since last evening, showing the disarray at Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport. The increased security measures ahead of Independence Day celebrations have led to serpentine queues and confusion among travellers.

One user posted a video highlighting the lack of resources, stating that while passenger numbers have increased daily, resources remain unchanged. This has resulted in people waiting two to three hours for security checks.

Another user expressed dissatisfaction with the airport's crowd management and noted a lack of support from airport staff. Additionally, some passengers pointed out that the Digi Yatra Office was not functioning properly, causing further delays.

Delhi Airport Statement

The Delhi airport issued a statement on X addressing the concerns raised by passengers. It assured that on-ground officials were doing their best to minimise inconvenience and were working closely with CISF officials for a smooth travel experience.

"Dear Passenger, We understand your concern. Please be assured our on-ground officials are trying their best to minimize any inconvenience caused to the passengers and working closely with CISF officials for smooth travelling experience at Delhi Airport," read part of the statement.

The statement also mentioned that security had been heightened ahead of Independence Day, leading to longer security check procedures. "Further, we would like to apprise you that security at Delhi Airport has been stepped up ahead of Independence Day and subsequently, the security check procedure is taking more time. Any inconvenience caused to you is deeply regretted," it added.

Independence Day Preparations

India is set to celebrate its 78th Independence Day on August 15. Authorities have enhanced security arrangements in New Delhi based on intelligence inputs, adding an extra layer of security at key locations.

Notably, Delhi airport was ranked among the top 10 busiest airports globally for 2023. According to ACI data, IGI airport handled over 7.22 crore flyers in 2023, securing the ninth position worldwide in 2022.

Gupta also shared another passenger's complaint about the situation at IGI airport T3 terminal via a video post on X: "This is the situation at the security check counter at Delhi IGI airport T3 terminal right now. People on the verge of missing their flights."

The chaos reported by Gupta and other travellers underscores significant issues with crowd management and resource allocation at one of India's busiest airports during peak times.