|
Visitors
to India generally fly into one of
the Indian Gateways at Delhi,
Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay),
Chennai (earlier known as Madras)
or Kolkata (earlier known as
Calcutta). Checked-in baggage has
to be claimed and Immigration and
Customs formalities have to be
completed at the international
airport prior to taking domestic
connections.
Airport
Information
All the airports mentioned below
have money exchange facilities,
tourist information offices and
hotel reservation services:
Delhi
(DEL) Indira Gandhi International
Airport
Address: International
Airports Authority of India,
New Delhi - 110 037
India
Location: The airport is located
23km (14 miles) south of Delhi
Country code: 91
Airport code: DEL
Number of terminals: 2
Telephone: (0)11 565 2011
Fax: (0)11 566 5444
E-mail: apdigia@nde.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.airportsindia.org.in
Time
zone: GMT 5.5
Inter-terminal Transfer:
The International Terminal is 5km
(3 miles) away from the Domestic
Terminal at Palam. A free Airport
Authority air-conditioned courtesy
coach provides a transfer service
between the terminals every hour
during the day and every half hour
at night.For help and enquiries
contact staff at counter no. 7
outside the customs hall in the
International Terminal. Indian
Airlines also operate a free coach
for passengers who have Domestic
or International flight
connections.
Information Desk: There are
three tourist information counters
in Domestic Arrivals and one in
International Arrivals. Counters
are located in the baggage reclaim
areas. A help desk is located in
the Arrivals hall after customs
control. There are also
signsboards in the International
and Domestic terminals to guide
passengers.
Airport
Facilities:
Money and communications: Banks
and bureau de change facilities
are available 24 hours a day at
the International Terminal and
0600-2000 at the Domestic
Terminal. The airport has a post
office in each terminal, as well
as postboxes at prominent
locations.
Food: There are snack bars
and restaurants in Arrivals and
Departures.
Shopping: There are
duty-free shops in both the
Arrivals and Departures lounges.
Other facilities: There is
a pharmacy located in the
International Terminal in
Departures and medical units in
both terminals, manned by a doctor
24-hours a day.
Facilities for the disabled:
Physically accessible toilets as
well as ambulift facilities for
disabled travelers are available.
There is a special parking area
for disabled travelers.
Business Facilities: A
Business Center is located in
Terminal IA (Indian Airlines and
Alliance Airlines Departures).
Facilities include secretarial
services, catering, photocopying
and
telephones. The holders of
credit cards issued by certain
approved banks can use the
business center for free.
Car Hire: Car hire is
available from outside the customs
halls at both Domestic and
International Arrivals, however,
there is no facility for hiring
self-drive cars at the airport, as
self-drive cars are not generally
available in India.
Car Parking: Car parking is
available at both terminals.
Public
Transport:
Taxi: There is a Delhi
Traffic Police pre-paid taxi booth
in the Arrivals area, which issues
vouchers for travel to the city;
retain the receipt until you reach
your destination and then hand it
to the driver. Although metered
taxis are available outside the
airport, it is far easier to
pre-book at one of the many taxi
counters in the Arrivals area.
Bus: Buses run from the
airport to central Delhi every 25
minutes, 24 hours a day (journey
time: approximately 50 minutes)
and auto rickshaws are also
available.
Shuttle: Delhi Transport
Corporation runs green and yellow
coaches and EATS run white/blue
coaches 24 hours a day; both
services depart from the
International Terminal and travel
via the Domestic Terminal stopping
at New Delhi Railway Station.
Mumbai
(BOM) Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport
Address: Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport
Mumbai - 400 099
India
Location: The Chhatrapati Shivaji
International Airport terminals
are spread over two different
locations roughly 4km (2.5 miles)
apart in the north of Mumbai.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport (Terminal II) is located
at Sahar, approximately 30 km (19
miles) north of Mumbai. Terminal
I, which deals with domestic
flights only from IA and IB, is
also confusingly named Chhatrapati
Shivaji International Airport and
is located at Santa Cruz 26km (16
miles) north of Mumbai.
Country code: 91
Airport code: BOM
Number of terminals: 2
Telephone: (0)22-2836 6700
Fax: (0)22-2615 6202 or 2615 6031
E-mail: authapd@bom4.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.airportsindia.org.in
Time zone: GMT 5.5
Inter-terminal Transfer:
Free airline coaches transfer
passengers between the terminals.
Airport
Facilities
Money and communications:
A telecommunications centre is
located in Terminals IB and 2.
There are also telephones, hotel
reservation counters, money
exchangers, ATMs and postal
service.
Food: There are
restaurants, snack bars, tea, cold
drinks and coffee vending booths,
ice cream and chocolate
shops.
Shopping: Shops in
Terminals IA and IB include
book-stall and a tobacconist.
Luggage: Left luggage
facilities are available.
Other facilities: Tourist
information counters,
visitors lounge, an executive
lounge, TV, first aid and medical
services, Air insurance counters
are also available on the
Departures levels of Terminals 1A
and IB. There is also a child care
room at the airport.
Facilities for the Disabled:
There are lifts between floors, as
well as disabled toilets at the
airport. Wheelchairs are also
available on request and disabled
parking can be found at the
airport.
Business Facilities: There
are business centres in Terminals
IA and IB, as well as in the
Domestic terminal; a conference
room is also available.
Car Hire: Car hire
companies can be found in both
terminals I and II.
Car Parking: Car parking is
available near both
terminals.
Public
Transport:
Taxi: Taxis and motor
rickshaws are available at the
airport (journey time from the
city centre to airport during peak
hours: 90-180 minutes depending on
traffic).
Bus: Buses are also
available.
Kolkata
Airport (CCU)
is
13km (8 miles) northeast of the
city (travel time, 40-60 minutes).
International terminal and the
domestic terminal are located in
the same building. There is a
24-hour coach service to Indian
Airlines city office and major
hotels. A bus leaves every ten
minutes 0530-2200 hrs. Taxi
services abound. Conveniences
include a 24-hour post office, a
24-hour bank, restaurants and
bars, and duty-free shops.
Chennai
Airport (MAA)
is 14km (9 miles) southwest of the
city (travel time, 20 minutes).
International terminal and the
domestic terminal are located in
the same building. A coach meets
all flight arrivals 0900-2300. A
train leaves every 20-30 minutes
0500-2300 hrs. Buses run every 25
minutes 0500-2200 hrs. Taxi
services are available.
Hyderabad
Airport (HYD)
is located in the center of the
city and is 1-5 km away from most
hotels. International terminal and
the domestic terminal are located
in the same building. Prepaid taxi
and auto rickshaws are the
convenient modes of
transportation.
Immigration
There are separate immigration
desks for Indian citizens and
citizens of other countries. The
formalities are simple and quick.
Please have your completed
immigration document (the Airline
staff will distribute it during
your flight to India), passport,
visa, and Sunayana 2007 invitation
letter ready. The stamped portion
of the immigration document should
be retained to complete the
formalities on departure from
India.
Baggage
Claim
Exit from the immigration desk
will lead you to the baggage claim
area. Look for your flight number
on the baggage carousal.
If your baggage is missing, please
contact your airline agent
available in the baggage claims
area. The agent will arrange for a
Customs Landing Certificate.
Please provide the agent with your
address and telephone number at
the destination to enable the
airline to deliver your
baggage.
The baggage claim area will exit
to the Customs area.
Customs
The Indian Customs have a Red
Channel for visitors carrying
dutiable goods and a walk-through
Green Channel for those who have
nothing to declare. Please walk
through the green channel unless
you have something specific to
declare and pay duty for. Your
baggage may be scanned on exit.
The Customs declaration is a part
of the immigration document. This
portion of the document should be
produced to the Customs
officer.
The following may be imported into
India by passengers over 17 years
of age without incurring customs
duty:
-
200
cigarettes or 50 cigars or
250g of tobacco
-
1
bottle of an alcoholic
beverage
-
goods
for personal use or gifts.
We
suggest that you voluntarily ask
for endorsement for all expensive
electronic equipment (video
camera, laptop, etc) in your
possession to avoid any Customs
related problems on departure from
India. Narcotics, plants and gold
and silver bullion are prohibited.
For detailed baggage rules, please
check here.
Airport
Exit
The Customs area will lead you to
the airport exit. Authorized
money-changers, domestic airline
representatives, hotel counters,
and cab agencies are located in
the exit lobby. Follow the signage
and reenter the appropriate
airport domestic departure
terminal for connecting flights.
If you are expecting someone to
meet you on arrival, look for the
one with a placard bearing your
name and waiting at the exit. Cabs
and inter-terminal shuttles are
available outside the exit. You
may want to avoid unauthorized
agents - they may be expensive. It
may not be safe to allow an
unauthorized person to carry your
baggage.
Connecting
Flights
At the New Delhi and Mumbai
airports, the visitors would need
to change terminals to board
domestic flights. It may take
about 30 minutes to move between
terminals using a cab or a
courtesy inter-terminal shuttle
bus.
Most international flights arrive
late at night or early in the
morning. For example, KLM/North
West and Air France arrive in
Delhi at 10:15 PM. Swiss Air
flights arrive in Mumbai at 10:30
PM, Delta at 11:50 PM, and British
Airways at 12:20 AM.
Hyderabad is well connected with
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and
Kolkata by the domestic airlines -
Indian
Airlines,
Jet
Airways,
Air
Sahara, Deccan
Airways,
Kingfisher
Airlines,
SpiceJet,
and GoAir
The
convenient connecting flights from
Delhi to Hyderabad are at 5:50 AM
(Jet Airways) and 6:50 AM (Indian
Airlines). The flight time is two
hours.
The convenient connecting flights
from Mumbai to Hyderabad are at
3:15 AM (Jet Airways), 5:45 AM
(Indian Airlines), 6:25 AM (Jet
Airways), 8:00AM (Jet Airways),
and 9:45 AM (Indian Airlines). The
flight time is one hour.
A minimum 3-hour connecting time
is recommended to allow for
Immigration and Customs
formalities, and inter-terminal
transfers.
If an immediate connecting flight
to Hyderabad may not be available,
you may want to stay overnight at
the city of entry and fly to
Hyderabad the next morning. If you
would rather spend your time at
the airport, the domestic airport
lounges are safe, comfortable, and
have necessary conveniences. |
