Flying to India

With a lack of viable overland routes available along with the dearth of international ferry services in modern times, flying is the only realistic option to enter India from outside South Asia.

There are plently of flights from Asia and Europe, but no direct flights from Pakistan. Direct flights are also available from the major cities in Africa and North America, but none from South America. From Oceania, the only direct flights are from Australia.

In addition, Gulf carriers like Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways offer a plethora of one-stop connections to many Indian cities from their hubs. Consider connecting via those hubs to save on ticket prices.

Delhi (DEL ^IATA), Mumbai (BOM ^IATA) and Bengaluru (BLR ^IATA) are India's main aviation hubs. There are many nonstop, direct and connecting choices to these cities from Europe, North America, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. There are also many long-haul international flights to Kolkata (CCU ^IATA), Hyderabad (HYD ^IATA), Chennai (MAA ^IATA) and Ahmedabad (AMD ^IATA).

Be sure to hold on to your boarding pass, as it will be checked on arrival in India. Some Indian airports, like Delhi, offer Wi-Fi access with a passport scan, and offer short–term tourist SIM cards, but the majority offer no Wi-Fi or SIM card options.

See the respective city or airport article for more specific information on flights. Bear in mind that many medium-sized cities offer only a handful of international flights, especially the seasonal ones.

India once had various overland routes to Africa, Europe and China as part of the Silk Road, which got abandoned due the rise of the Ottoman Empire and its poor relations with maritime Europe. This led to the discovery of the maritime Cape Route around Africa, replacing the overland routes to India. However, the advances in aviation in the mid-20th century led to the decline of maritime ferry services worldwide. Although the overland route from Europe to India via Persia (present-day Iran) became popular in the 1960s and 70s as the Hippie Trail, it has become increasingly challenging since the 1980s, with the 2025 closure of the India–Pakistan border being the final nail in the coffin. This makes flying as a mode of transport more important than ever for India to connect to the outside world.

Due to bankruptcies and mergers, there are only five Indian airlines that operate international flights.

• IndiGo (IATA: 6E): A low-cost airline that serves more than 45 international destinations from Europe to East Asia, with hubs in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Considered to be one of the more reputable airlines in the Indian industry, and has a strong safety record.
• Air India (IATA: AI): India’s flag carrier and the country's only surviving legacy carrier. The Maharajah ('great king') is its long-iconic mascot. It is owned by the Tata Group and is a member of the Star Alliance, with hubs in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. It serves over 40 international destinations across more than 30 countries from North America to Australia. It has a poor reputation for delayed services, major cleanliness issues and a lower safety record than competitors.
• Air India Express (IATA: IX): The low-cost arm of Air India that serves 18 international destinations, mainly the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It has hubs in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.
• SpiceJet (IATA: SG): A low-cost airline that serves 10 international destinations, with hubs in Delhi and Hyderabad.
• Akasa Air (IATA: QP): A low-cost airline that serves six international destinations, with hubs in Bengaluru and Mumbai. It is the most on-time airline in the Indian aviation industry.

These airlines offer daily flights from major hubs around the world. However, most Indian airlines have a very unfriendly policy towards upgrading weight allowance and changing dates of flights, and so if you feel that you may need to change anything regarding your flight, it is best to check the company's policy before making a booking.

Also, different airlines have different standards for what they allow as cabin baggage, so check with your airline’s website on the side of caution, especially if you are travelling by a low-cost airline. Usually, the allowed free baggage limit is 15 kg (33 lb) on most airlines.

Indian-operated or Indian-flagged planes are banned from flying into Pakistani airspace and this may cause ticket prices to increase. Also, depending on the security situation in the Middle East or in Europe (which may cause airspace closures at short notice), your flight may be affected and cause delays or cancellations.

There are direct flights from North and East Africa to India, including the non-stop flights from Addis Ababa, Cairo and Mauritius to Delhi, as well as from Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Mahé, Mauritius and Nairobi to Mumbai, and also from Addis Ababa and Mauritius to Bengaluru.

However, if you're coming from other parts of the continent, your best bet could be via Gulf carriers. While it isn't difficult to get direct or one-stop flights from South Africa or Nigeria, it can be more challenging if you're from Malawi or Togo.

There are more flights to India from the rest of Asia than any other continent, mainly due to the Indian diaspora in the Middle East as well as the holiday destinations in Southeast Asia.

There are numerous direct flights from neighbouring countries in South Asia, like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives. However, most of them are operated by Indian airlines. Plus, there are no direct flights from Pakistan due to tensions with India.

Neighbouring carriers flying to India are:

• Bhutan Airlines operates flights to Delhi and Kolkata.
• Biman Bangladesh Airlines has connections to Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata.
• Drukair, the Bhutanese flag carrier, has year-round connectivity to Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata and Siliguri, with seasonal flights to Gaya.
• Nepal Airlines has connections to Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.
• SriLankan Airlines has connections to 10 Indian cities.

Cathay Pacific, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, is the only East Asian airline with connections to multiple Indian cities, like Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Other East Asian countries can use the one-stop connections from Cathay Pacitic to access more Indian destinations.

Other East Asian carriers flying to India are:

• Air China operates flights to Delhi.
• ANA (All Nippon Airways) operates flights to Delhi and Mumbai.
• Japan Airlines flies to Bengaluru and Delhi.
• Korean Air operates passenger flights to Delhi.

Most major cities have connections to the Middle East, especially the Gulf region. Additionally, regions with large Muslim populations are likely to have a connection to Jedda/Mecca either year-round or seasonal (e.g. during Hajj).

Chief Middle Eastern carriers flying to India are:

• Air Arabia has connections to 14 Indian cities, the highest for a foreign airline.
• Emirates is the best if you fly to India from the Gulf, either directly or via connecting flights. It has direct flights to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Etihad Airways is another airline based in the United Arab Emirates, with direct connectivity to 11 Indian cities.
• Flydubai has connections to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Mumbai.
• Gulf Air has connections to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Kuwait Airways has connections to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
• Oman Air has connections to 10 Indian cities.
• Saudia has year-round connectivity to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Mumbai, with seasonal flights to Ahmedabad and Kolkata.
• Qatar Airways has connections to 13 Indian cities.

Other airlines include:

• Royal Jordanian operates flights to Delhi and Mumbai.
• Turkish Airlines operates passenger flights to Delhi and Mumbai.

Chief Southeast Asian carriers flying to India are:

• AirAsia and its subsidiaries fly to 16 Indian cities.
• Malaysia Airlines has connections to 10 Indian cities.
• Singapore Airlines is the best if you fly to India from the Southeast, either directly or via connecting flights. It has connections to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai.
• Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, has flights to Amritsar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli and Visakhapatnam.
• Thai Airways International has year-round connections to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, with seasonal flights to Gaya.
• VietJet Air has flights to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai from both Hanoi and HCMC.

Chief European carriers flying to India are:

• British Airways operates flights to India since the early 20th century, and it has direct connections to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
• KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, operates flights to India since the 1920s, with its first passenger flight being in 1924 between Amsterdam and Calcutta (present-day Kolkata), as part of its route to Batavia (present-day Jakarta). Although the airline no longer provides direct flights to Kolkata, it still has direct connections to Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
• Lufthansa has direct flights to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.

Other airlines include:

• Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, has year-round connectivity to Delhi, with seasonal flights to Goa.
• Air France has direct flights to Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.
• Scandinavian Airlines flies to Mumbai.
• Swiss International Air Lines has direct flights to Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.
• TUI Airways, a charter operator, flies to Goa, a popular destination among European tourists.
• Virgin Atlantic has direct flights to Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai.

There are direct flights to Delhi from North American hubs like Los Angeles, Montreal, New York City, Toronto and Vancouver. Mumbai also provides direct connectivity to New York and Toronto, mainly by Air India.

Qantas, the flag carrier of Australia, is the only Oceanian airline providing direct flights to India, with connections to Bengaluru and Delhi. So, it's better to rely on Gulf or Southeast Asian carriers.

There are no direct flights from South America, so be prepared for very long journeys via the Middle East, Europe or North America.

India’s customs regime is notoriously complex, and could easily result in you facing seizure of goods, fines, deportation or imprisonment. Illegal drugs and importing or exporting significant amounts of money or jewellery may arouse suspicion from customs.

You must carry either a valid air ticket (electronic or printed) or valid boarding pass. Additionally you must carry an identification card (passport, OCI or Aadhaar Card) to even enter the terminal. They are checked and matched compulsorily at the entry gate by security guards. If you possess neither a printout or a soft copy, you can get a copy at the airline offices just outside the entry gate. Some airlines have started to charge for this privilege.

If you are bringing any new packaged items, it is a good idea to carry the invoices for them to show their value. You are also allowed to bring in 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco and 1L (2L for Indians) of alcohol duty-free. If you do not have anything to declare, you can go through the green channel clearly marked at various airports and generally you will not be harassed. Your bags upon arrival at all international airports in India will be screened when leaving through the green channel and red channel.

Don't hesitate to ask someone if you are unsure about anything. Most staff in Indian airports are very helpful to passengers.

FTI‑TTP (Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme)^{[dead link]} is India’s system for speeding up immigration checks for travellers who have been approved by the government. After applying online and completing identity verification, travellers are added to a trusted traveller database. When they arrive at one of the participating airports, they can use dedicated fast track immigration lanes instead of the regular queues. At these lanes, their passport and biometric details are checked using automated systems, allowing them to clear immigration much faster than usual. It’s designed to make international travel smoother for frequent travellers, families, and anyone who wants a more efficient arrival experience. It is available at 13 major international airports across India.

• Rail travel in India — once you arrive in India, you can use the extensive Indian Railways network to get around the country. Delhi and Mumbai have dedicated rapid transit links to rail hubs.