---
title: "DEL is which airport? Delhi"
description: "DEL is Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India. Why the code is DEL and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/del/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is DEL?

**DEL is: Indira Gandhi International Airport**

Delhi, India

## Why the code is DEL

The first three letters of Delhi.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** DEL
- **ICAO code:** VIDP
- **Airport:** Indira Gandhi International Airport
- **City:** Delhi, India
- **Code origin:** Documented

Terminal 3's immigration hall is lined with nine large brass mudras — hand gestures from Indian classical dance — which is one of the few pieces of airport art that most passengers actually stop for. Delhi is India's busiest airport and its main international gateway.

## The other code, VIDP

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, DEL, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, VIDP, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why VIDP looks nothing like DEL.

## Common questions

### What airport is DEL?

Indira Gandhi International Airport, in Delhi, India.

### Why is Delhi's airport called DEL?

The first three letters of Delhi.

### What is the difference between DEL and VIDP?

DEL is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. VIDP is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [India](https://atoneplace.net/country/india/)
- [The flag of India](https://atoneplace.net/flag/india/)
- [Airport codes in India](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/india/)
- [What airport is BOM?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/bom/)
- [What airport is MAA?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/maa/)
- [What airport is BLR?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/blr/)
- [What airport is CCU?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ccu/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]