Domestic and International Airports in India

India has one of the largest and fastest-growing aviation networks in the world, connecting major cities, towns, and remote regions through a vast network of airports.

From bustling international hubs like Delhi and Mumbai to regional domestic terminals and civil enclaves, these airports play a vital role in transportation, trade, tourism, and economic development.

This article provides a comprehensive list of all international, domestic, and customs airports (civil enclaves) in India, useful for students, travellers, and competitive exam aspirants.

Airports Overview – India (2025)

  • Total airports in India: ~487 (incl. domestic, international, customs, civil enclaves)
  • AAI – Managed: approximately 137–147 airports, including 33–35 international airports and 81–114 domestic & customs airports

International Airports in India (Select Major 30+)

CityAirport NameState / UTIATA
DelhiIndira Gandhi International AirportDelhiDEL
MumbaiChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International AirportMaharashtraBOM
BengaluruKempegowda International AirportKarnatakaBLR
HyderabadRajiv Gandhi International AirportTelanganaHYD
KolkataNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose International AirportWest BengalCCU
ChennaiChennai International AirportTamil NaduMAA
AhmedabadSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International AirportGujaratAMD
GoaDabolim/Manohar International AirportGoaGOI / GOX
CoimbatoreCoimbatore International AirportTamil NaduCJB
KochiCochin International AirportKeralaCOK
KozhikodeCalicut International AirportKeralaCCJ
KannurKannur International AirportKeralaCNN
VisakhapatnamVisakhapatnam International AirportAndhra PradeshVTZ
VaranasiLal Bahadur Shastri AirportUttar PradeshVNS
VijayawadaVijayawada International AirportAndhra PradeshVGA
PunePune International AirportMaharashtraPNQ
NagpurDr Babasaheb Ambedkar International AirportMaharashtraNAG
LucknowChaudhary Charan Singh International AirportUttar PradeshLKO
JaipurJaipur International AirportRajasthanJAI
ImphalImphal International AirportManipurIMF
BhubaneswarBiju Patnaik International AirportOdishaBBI
GuwahatiLokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International AirportAssamGAU
SrinagarSheikh ul-Alam International AirportJammu & KashmirSXR
GayaGaya Airport (Customs & select int’l flights)BiharGAY
SuratSurat Airport (Customs; limited int’l flights)GujaratSTV
VadodaraVadodara AirportGujaratBDQ
AyodhyaMaharishi Valmiki International AirportUttar PradeshAYJ
Port BlairVeer Savarkar International Airport (civil enclave)A&N IslandsIXZ
KushinagarKushinagar Airport (regional international)Uttar Pradesh—
SrinagarAlso serve commercial int’l flightsJ&K—
→ + many civil enclaves (customs airports) serve limited international operations

IATA stands for International Air Transport Association.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • 🛫 What it is:
    A global trade association of the airline industry.
  • 🌍 Founded:
    In 1945, headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
  • ✈️ Purpose:
    It standardizes practices and policies to ensure safe, reliable, secure, and economical air transport.
  • 🔤 IATA Code:
    One of its most visible contributions is assigning 3-letter airport codes (e.g., DEL for Delhi, BOM for Mumbai, JFK for New York).
  • 🧳 Used in:
    Flight booking, baggage tags, boarding passes, airport signage, and travel itineraries.

Static GK Points You Should Know

  • Total airports: ~487, including international, domestic, customs, and military enclaves. AAI manages 130–150 airports.
  • International airports: 33–35 fully operational plus several limited/customs enclaves. Kerala alone has 4.
  • Busiest airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi; largest by area: IGI Delhi (~5,495 acres).
  • Highest airport: Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (Leh, Ladakh) at ~3,256 m altitude.
  • First PPP international airport: Cochin International Airport, Kerala.

Civil Enclaves — Customs-Designated & Limited International Operations

From AAI’s Official Data

  • These airports are designated as Customs Airports or Civil Enclaves, enabling limited international operations or customs services:
    • Coimbatore → serves as civil enclave
    • Gaya → civil enclave
    • Bagdogra, Mangalore, Patna, Tiruchirapalli, Varanasi, Lucknow → all are customs-handling civil enclaves

Additional Notable Enclaves with Customs Facilities

  • Visakhapatnam Airport — functions as an international airport with customs handling, located on an Indian Navy airbase as a civil enclave
  • Chandigarh Airport — declared a customs airport in 2011; technically capable of handling international customs, though no scheduled international flights operate as yet

Other Limited-Use International Civil Enclaves

  • Kushinagar International Airport — licensed as a customs-notified airport from 2021, facilitating international traffic primarily via Buddhist pilgrimage; limited operations ongoing 
AirportType / Status
CoimbatoreCustoms airport (civil enclave)
GayaCustoms airport (civil enclave)
BagdograCustoms airport (civil enclave)
MangaloreCustoms airport (civil enclave)
PatnaCustoms airport (civil enclave)
TiruchirapalliCustoms airport (civil enclave)
VaranasiCustoms airport (civil enclave)
LucknowCustoms airport (civil enclave)
ChandigarhCustoms airport (civil enclave), no scheduled international flights
VisakhapatnamInternational airport + Customs airport, joint military/civil operations
KushinagarInternational airport (customs), limited ops

CE = Civil Enclave, managed within military bases but handling civilian flights.

Domestic Airports in India

Here’s a refined list of domestic airports in India, based on official data and regional sources, perfect for static GK prep:

Overview

  • According to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), India has approximately 103 domestic airports, alongside 34 international and 10 customs airports.
  • Another source confirms 114 domestic airports, with 55 operated by AAI, plus several managed by joint ventures, private entities, or as civil enclaves

List of Domestic Airports (by Region)

RegionAirport NameState / UT
NorthJammu Airport (CE)J&K
Leh – Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (CE)Ladakh
Shimla AirportHimachal Pradesh
Bagdogra AirportWest Bengal
East & NortheastDibrugarh AirportAssam
Rupri AirportAssam
Jorhat (Civil Enclave)Assam
Shillong AirportMeghalaya (CE)
Central & EastGaya Airport (Customs)Bihar
Patna Airport (Customs)Bihar
Rajahmundry AirportAndhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam AirportAndhra Pradesh
Kadapa (Cuddapah) AirportAndhra Pradesh
Tirupati AirportAndhra Pradesh
SouthCoimbatore Airport (Intl)Tamil Nadu
Madurai Airport (Customs)Tamil Nadu
Tiruchirappalli Airport (Intl)Tamil Nadu
Thiruvananthapuram AirportKerala
West & CentralIndore AirportMadhya Pradesh
Bhopal AirportMadhya Pradesh
Jabalpur AirportMadhya Pradesh
Khajuraho AirportMadhya Pradesh
Raipur – Swami Vivekananda AirportChhattisgarh
Ambikapur AirportChhattisgarh
WestSurat AirportGujarat
Vadodara AirportGujarat
Rajkot AirportGujarat
Goa (Dabolim – Intl)Goa
OthersPort Blair (Intl CE)A&N Islands

Quick Insights for Static GK

  • India has over 100 domestic airports, managed by AAI, state governments, or private agencies.
  • Strategic states like Uttar Pradesh now have 16 operational airports, including four international ones — Lucknow, Varanasi, Kushinagar, and Ayodhya.
  • Many domestic airports serve as crucial gateways for regional connectivity under schemes like UDAN-RCS, increasing accessibility to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities