New Delhi to Chennai (DEL–MAA) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
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No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
DEL–MAA is served by 4 airlines with nonstop service. IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express lead the route. The flight covers 1,094 miles in approximately 2h 35m. Beyond nonstop, 55 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6E IndiGo Also: A3, AF, BA, JL, KL, TK | 77 | 32Q | 2h42-2h55 | – | – | A3, AF, BA, JL, KL, TK |
| AI Air India Also: ET, LO, LX, MS, SQ | 63 | 32N, 77W | 2h35-3h | – | Star Alliance | ET, LO, LX, MS, SQ |
| IX Air India Express | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| SG SpiceJet | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
Other ways to reach Chennai from New Delhi
| Metric | DEL→MAA | JAI→MAA | IXC→MAA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from DEL | – | 143 mi | 147 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Weekly flights | 249 | 7 | 7 |
| Flight time | 2h 35m | 2h 30m | 3h |
Travel Essentials
DEL: IST · MAA: IST
When it's 6:00 PM in New Delhi, it's 6:00 PM in Chennai.
Delhi Metro Airport Express runs from New Delhi Railway Station to T3 in 18–20 minutes (₹60 one-way). From Shivaji Stadium (central Delhi) it takes 24 minutes. The line has four stations: New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium, Dhaula Kuan, and IGI Airport (T3). T1 (domestic) is not directly served; take the metro to T3 and the free airport bus shuttle to T1.Prepaid taxis from the terminal use a metered system with fixed rates; central Delhi costs ₹400–600. Ola and Uber operate widely and are often cheaper. Auto-rickshaws are not permitted on the expressway.
DEL–MAA Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Delhi to Chennai: India's Capital to the Southern Hub
DEL-MAA is one of India's busiest metro-to-metro domestic corridors, connecting the national capital to Tamil Nadu's commercial and industrial capital. IndiGo leads with eight to ten daily nonstops; Air India and SpiceJet together add another eight to ten departures. Total daily seat capacity on the pair exceeds 5,000. Block time runs two hours 30 minutes southbound and about two hours 40 minutes northbound due to prevailing wind patterns. The route serves a heavy corporate travel segment tied to automotive manufacturing (Hyundai, BMW, Ford plants near Chennai), IT services (Chennai's OMR tech corridor), and pharmaceutical companies. Indira Gandhi International (DEL) is Asia's third-busiest airport; Chennai International is undergoing a terminal expansion that will increase capacity from 23 million to 35 million passengers annually.
Route Context and Alternatives
The Rajdhani Express train between New Delhi and Chennai Central takes 28 to 30 hours and covers 2,175 km, making air travel the clear time-efficient option for this pair. The Indian Railways Vande Bharat Express semi-high-speed trains have been introduced on some Delhi-south corridors but do not yet cover the full DEL-MAA distance at competitive journey times. Chennai airport handles international connections to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Colombo, making it a secondary international gateway for South India. Passengers needing Colombo or Singapore connections from Delhi can use DEL-MAA as the first leg and connect at MAA's international terminal, which shares the main building with domestic arrivals.