Report ranks Delhi airport at 8th position globally for connection safety

NEW DELHI, May 11: Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has ranked eighth globally for connection safety, emerging as the only Asian airport in the low-risk tier and placing ahead of Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai, according to new data released by AirAdvisor.
However, the report warns that Indian fans travelling to the FIFA World Cup 2026 could face major disruption risks after landing in the United States, particularly at transit hubs such as Dallas, Chicago, and New York.
The new Summer Connection Risk Index by AirAdvisor, covering 20 major international connection hubs, found that four American airports fall in the highest-risk tier for missed connections. Dallas/Fort Worth recorded a long-delay rate of nearly 17 per cent during last summer’s peak travel season, meaning roughly one in six departures ran at least an hour behind schedule.
For passengers spending upwards of Rs 3-5 lakh on tickets, flights, and hotel bookings, a missed connection at Dallas or Chicago could mean more than just inconvenience; it could result in missing a World Cup match.
The rankings placed Stockholm Arlanda first, followed by Warsaw Chopin and Madrid Barajas, while Delhi ranked eighth with a score of 8.10 out of 10 in the “Low Risk” category alongside London Heathrow and Paris CDG.
Delhi outperformed other Asian hubs, with Seoul Incheon ranked 13th, Kuala Lumpur KLIA 14th and Shanghai Pudong 16th.
The report noted that while Delhi offers a relatively safe departure experience, the bigger concern lies at US domestic transit hubs where most passengers travelling to World Cup host cities are required to take connecting flights.
Dallas/Fort Worth ranked last among all 20 airports with a score of 6.15 and a summer 2025 long-delay rate of 16.9 per cent. Chicago O’Hare, the most common US gateway for Delhi flights, ranked 19th with a delay rate of 13.58 per cent. New York JFK and Miami International also recorded high delay rates of 9.91 per cent and 12.13 per cent respectively.
The report attributed the disruptions to structural issues such as constrained airspace, peak-hour slot saturation, and heavily burdened domestic feeder networks.
The report also advised passengers travelling during the summer season to allow at least two to three hours for connections at high-risk airports, request airline assistance during delays before paying out of pocket, and keep all travel documents and receipts for possible compensation claims.