FBOs at Indira Gandhi International VIDP DEL

Airport security

New Delhi carries active terrorism, civil unrest, and crime risk designations under multiple official government travel advisories, with the U.S. Department of State rating India at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) and assessing New Delhi specifically as a high-threat location for terrorism.

Anti-Western extremist groups with documented regional presence consider transportation hubs, crowded public spaces, and tourist areas as potential targets, with the threat assessed as heightened around major national events and festivals.

Civil unrest, including large-scale demonstrations, can develop with little warning, and security force response capacity may be constrained during peak incidents.

Indira Gandhi International Airport is a major international hub and is classified as a hypersensitive airport under India's national security framework, placing it among the highest-priority protected civil aviation facilities in the country.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) holds primary security responsibility at the airport, with a multi-layered perimeter intrusion detection system in place and counter-terrorist contingency planning available at approach roads — a designation shared with only one other airport in India.

Passengers and crew are subject to personal frisking and hand baggage screening prior to entry into the pre-boarding sterile area.

Customs, immigration and regulatory

• Hours: H24 Customs and immigration operate continuously per India AIP AD 2.3
• Baggage Rules 2026 (effective 02 Feb 2026) govern duty-free allowances for arriving passengers
• a mandatory self-declaration form is required for all international arrivals
• health screening active for passengers transiting through designated high-risk countries

Ground corridor

Delhi presents a moderate opportunistic crime and traffic safety risk category for ground movement, with the primary threat to arriving personnel being transport-related scams, tout activity, and petty theft concentrated in the airport forecourt and surrounding arterial roads rather than violent crime.

Active civil unrest has been ongoing in central Delhi since June 2026, with protest activity and security force responses reported in the Connaught Place and Parliament Street corridor, making that route operationally sensitive and potentially subject to road closures or movement delays.

Pre-arranged vetted transport is strongly advised over independently sourced vehicles at the kerbside, as unauthorized transport operators in the arrivals zone are a documented source of fraud and route diversion.

Road traffic to the city centre — approximately 16 km — is among the most congested in the region, with significant delays during peak hours; pre-arranged professional drivers familiar with the Airport Express Link road and NH48 corridor provide the most predictable transit times.

City threat summary

New Delhi carries active terrorism, civil unrest, and crime risk designations under multiple official government travel advisories, with the U.S. Department of State rating India at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) and assessing New Delhi specifically as a high-threat location for terrorism.

Anti-Western extremist groups with documented regional presence consider transportation hubs, crowded public spaces, and tourist areas as potential targets, with the threat assessed as heightened around major national events and festivals.

Civil unrest, including large-scale demonstrations, can develop with little warning, and security force response capacity may be constrained during peak incidents.

Country overview

India operates at an elevated and stable threat level driven by persistent cross-border terrorism, active insurgencies in multiple regions, and frequent civil unrest across the country.

The U.S. State Department rates India at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) nationally, with Level 4 (Do Not Travel) applied to Manipur and Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) for Northeastern states and parts of Central and East India.

The security environment along the Line of Control with Pakistan remains volatile following the closure of the Wagah-Attari border crossing in May 2025, with no reopening date announced.

Higher-risk locations nearby

• Imphal VEIM CRITICAL
• Kolkata VECC CRITICAL
• Srinagar VISR CRITICAL
• Ahmedabad VAAH ELEVATED
• Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) VAAU ELEVATED
• Bagdogra VEBD ELEVATED
• Bengaluru VOBG ELEVATED
• Bhopal VABP ELEVATED
• Bhubaneswar VEBS ELEVATED