Short answer: Two metro lines reach Delhi airport. For Terminal 3 and Terminal 2, take the Airport Express (Orange Line) to the airport station. For Terminal 1, take the Magenta Line to Terminal 1-IGI Airport station. There is no direct metro between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3.
Which station for which terminal
| Terminal | Line | Station | From station to terminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 3 | Airport Express (Orange Line) | IGI Airport. DMRC's map calls it "Airport (T-3)". | Delhi Airport's site: "direct access to Terminal 3". |
| Terminal 2 | Airport Express (Orange Line) | The same station | Delhi Airport's site: "a short walk or shuttle ride from Terminal 3", about 500 metres on foot. |
| Terminal 1 | Magenta Line | Terminal 1-IGI Airport | Delhi Airport's site: a 5 to 7 minute walk, 300 to 400 metres, by covered subway with travelators. |
Ask your airline which terminal your flight uses.
Airport Express basics
DMRC's map (August 2026) lists the Orange Line (Airport Express) as 24.917 km with 7 stations:
- New Delhi
- Shivaji Stadium
- Dhaula Kuan
- Delhi Aerocity
- Airport (T-3)
- Dwarka Sector 21
- Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector-25
Delhi Aerocity is a separate station, one stop before the airport from New Delhi. Do not get down there for your flight.
Changing to other lines
| Airport Express station | Change to | How DMRC's map marks it |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Yellow Line | Interchange station. Indian Railways station also marked. |
| Dhaula Kuan | Pink Line at Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus | "Interchange provided through walkway / travelators". Allow extra time with bags. |
| Dwarka Sector 21 | Blue Line | Interchange station. |
Other lines shown at Shivaji Stadium and Delhi Aerocity are under construction.
Terminal 1 by the Magenta Line
- On DMRC's map the Magenta Line meets the Blue Line at Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden, Yellow at Hauz Khas and Violet at Kalkaji Mandir.
- The map shows a link from Delhi Aerocity to Terminal 1 (2.263 km) as under construction. It is not open.
- Plan a trip: Rajiv Chowk to Terminal 1-IGI Airport or Rajiv Chowk to IGI Airport.
Moving between terminals
From Delhi Airport's own site, not DMRC:
- A free shuttle bus runs between the terminals every 20 minutes, all day and night. Show your boarding pass at the kiosk to get a coupon, then board.
- A DMRC feeder bus between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 is listed at ₹40.
Luggage
The limit is a Central Government rule: the Metro Railways (Carriage and Ticket) Rules, 2014, as changed on 27 August 2019. DMRC hosts a copy.
- A dedicated airport metro line: two bags of personal belongings, "not exceeding 90 centimetres x 75 centimetres x 45 centimetres in size and 32 kilograms in gross weight". The rule does not say if 32 kg is for each bag or for both.
- Other metro lines: one bag, up to 80 cm x 50 cm x 30 cm and 25 kg. DMRC's own "Do's" list repeats this.
- "Baggage in form of bundles is not permitted."
- Anything larger needs "prior approval of the metro railway administration".
The Magenta Line is a normal city line, so we read the one-bag limit as the one for Terminal 1 trips. DMRC's site does not state this.
Airline check-in at metro stations
Delhi Airport's site says airline check-in counters are at New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium stations (concourse level), open daily 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. You can check in and drop bags there, 4 to 2 hours before an international flight or 12 to 2 hours before a domestic flight. The page does not name the airlines. Ask your airline first.
Tickets and fares
- DMRC's site has a separate Airport Express fare page. We could not read it today, so we print no fare.
- For Terminal 1 by the Magenta Line, use the fare calculator.
- Delhi Airport's site lists metro ticket machines at Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 arrivals and at Terminal 1 station.
- DMRC sells QR tickets on WhatsApp: send "Hi" to +91 96508 55800. Its post of 5 October 2023 says this works "across the whole network". MyMetro does not sell tickets.
- DMRC helpline: 155370.
What is not confirmed
- First and last trains, and frequency. Delhi Airport's site lists times, but for Dwarka Sector 21, not the present end station, and tells readers to check the metro's site. DMRC's timing pages did not load for us. We print no times.
- Travel time. A Government release of 17 September 2023 said New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 "will take about 21 minutes". Delhi Airport's site says "around 25 minutes".
- Airport Express fares, and which cards and passes work on this line.
- Whether one ticket covers a change between the Airport Express and another line.
- The walk from the airport station to the Terminal 3 doors. Delhi Airport's metro page gives no distance.
- Which airlines use the check-in counters.
- When the Aerocity to Terminal 1 link opens.
Airport Express fares
One-way fare in rupees for a QR ticket, station to station, from DMRC's own fare table.
| From / To | New Delhi | Shivaji Stadium | Dhaula Kuan | Delhi Aerocity | IGI Airport (T3) | Dwarka Sector 21 | Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | - | ₹21 | ₹43 | ₹54 | ₹64 | ₹64 | ₹75 |
| Shivaji Stadium | ₹21 | - | ₹21 | ₹32 | ₹54 | ₹64 | ₹75 |
| Dhaula Kuan | ₹43 | ₹21 | - | ₹21 | ₹32 | ₹54 | ₹64 |
| Delhi Aerocity | ₹54 | ₹32 | ₹21 | - | ₹21 | ₹32 | ₹43 |
| IGI Airport (T3) | ₹64 | ₹54 | ₹32 | ₹21 | - | ₹21 | ₹32 |
| Dwarka Sector 21 | ₹64 | ₹64 | ₹54 | ₹32 | ₹21 | - | ₹21 |
| Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 | ₹75 | ₹75 | ₹64 | ₹43 | ₹32 | ₹21 | - |
Source: DMRC, "Fare - For Airport Express Line", QR code based ticket (delhimetrorail.com/fare-for-airport-express-line), read on 10 Nov 2026. A trip that also uses another metro line is priced differently; check with DMRC.
Sources and date checked
All read on 10 November 2026.
- DMRC network map, "As on August 2026"
- Carriage and Ticket Rules, DMRC's copy
- Gazette of India, G.S.R. 601(E), 27 August 2019 (Maha Mumbai Metro's copy)
- DMRC website
- Delhi Airport: metro page
- Delhi Airport: commute from Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3
- Delhi Airport: check-in at metro stations
- Press Information Bureau, 17 September 2023
- DMRC post, 5 October 2023
- For fares and timings: DMRC Airport Express fares
MyMetro is not affiliated with DMRC. Check with DMRC before you travel.