Delhi to Andaman Complete Flight Guide — Fares, Routings, Season and Port Blair Connections in 2026
By Priya Nair (Priya Nair covers India's beach destinations — Andaman, Lakshadweep, Goa, Kerala — with a focus on the practical bits: which gateway airport, which ferry connects to which island, the permits, the scuba seasons, the budget math.) · Published · 10 min read
Andaman is one of India's most stunning island circuits, but the flight side trips up first-time visitors more than the snorkelling does. Here is the complete 2026 Delhi to Port Blair guide — direct vs one-stop, airline-by-airline fares, permits, ferry connections to Havelock and Neil, and exactly when to fly for the best beaches and the best prices.
Why Andaman is a one-airport game — Port Blair (IXZ) is your only gateway
Before we get into routings and fares, the single fact that shapes every Andaman trip from Delhi: the entire archipelago has exactly one commercial airport open to civilian flights — Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, code IXZ. There is no airport at Havelock, no airport at Neil, no airport at Diglipur or Long Island or Little Andaman. Whatever you have read about hopping between islands on a small plane, that is not the actual 2026 reality for tourists. You fly into IXZ and you take a boat from there.
This matters for planning in three concrete ways. First, every flight comparison you do is DEL-IXZ — there is no alternative airport to play against. Second, ferry timings from Port Blair to Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep) are the real constraint on your itinerary, not flight timings. Third, if Port Blair's weather is bad, the whole archipelago is effectively closed to new arrivals that day — there is no diversion airport within the islands.
Veer Savarkar International Airport itself was officially renamed and re-inaugurated in 2023 with a much larger terminal that can now handle wide-body aircraft and meaningfully higher passenger volumes. The new building has proper food courts, clean washrooms, prepaid taxi counters, and a small but functional duty-free section (yes, even on a domestic airport — it serves the occasional international charter and gives some local boutique products a shopfront). The arrival experience in 2026 is dramatically better than it was even five years ago.
Direct vs one-stop — the two route shapes from Delhi to Port Blair
From Delhi (DEL), you have exactly two ways to get to Port Blair: a non-stop on the limited routes that operate it, or a one-stop connection via Chennai (MAA), Bengaluru (BLR), Kolkata (CCU) or occasionally Mumbai (BOM). Each shape has trade-offs that most blog posts gloss over.
The non-stop DEL-IXZ: Roughly 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes block time on a narrow-body Airbus A320 or A321. IndiGo and Air India have operated this on a seasonal basis in 2026, typically as morning departures landing in Port Blair around lunchtime. The non-stop is the holy grail because it cuts your travel day in half and gets you onto a Makruzz or Green Ocean ferry the same afternoon. The catch: non-stops are not daily on every airline, frequencies tighten in monsoon, and the fare premium over a one-stop can run 30 to 60 percent in peak season.
The one-stop via Chennai, Bengaluru or Kolkata: Total elapsed time of 5 hours to 7 hours including the layover. Chennai (MAA) is the dominant transit point because it has the highest IXZ frequency of any mainland Indian airport — IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceXress and Akasa all run multiple MAA-IXZ rotations daily. Bengaluru (BLR) and Kolkata (CCU) also have strong service. A typical itinerary is an early-morning DEL flight, a 90-minute to 3-hour transit, and an afternoon IXZ arrival. The one-stop is almost always 20 to 50 percent cheaper than the non-stop.
The honest rule of thumb: book the non-stop if you can in peak season for the time saving, and book the one-stop in shoulder and lean season for the price saving.
Airlines on the Delhi-Port Blair sector and what to expect from each
Five carriers compete for your IXZ booking in 2026, and they are not interchangeable. Here is the honest field guide.
- IndiGo (6E): The volume leader on both the DEL-IXZ non-stop and the DEL-MAA-IXZ one-stop. Operates a mix of A320neo and A321neo aircraft. On-time performance is industry leading at Port Blair, which matters because IXZ has a single runway and weather-driven delays cascade quickly. IndiGo's pricing is usually the floor of the market — if you see a fare you like on another airline, check 6E first.
- Air India (AI): Operates DEL-IXZ both non-stop and via Chennai. Cabin is generally newer than IndiGo's after the post-Tata fleet refresh, and the baggage allowance is more generous (20 to 25 kg checked depending on fare class versus IndiGo's 15 kg). Slightly more expensive than IndiGo on average but worth the premium if you are carrying scuba gear or surplus luggage for an extended island stay.
- Air India Express (IX): The new Air India low-cost subsidiary that absorbed the old AirAsia India network. Runs a strong DEL-MAA-IXZ one-stop product on B737-MAX 8 aircraft. Pricing is competitive with IndiGo, especially on early-bird bookings, and the connecting fares through Chennai are often the cheapest option in the market.
- SpiceJet (SG): Lighter presence on the DEL-IXZ market in 2026 than it had pre-2020, but still operates seasonal frequencies and occasional one-stops via Chennai. Worth checking on price but the on-time and reschedule track record is weaker than IndiGo or Air India.
- Akasa Air (QP): The newest entrant, expanding aggressively in 2025 and 2026. Operates BLR-IXZ and BOM-IXZ at the time of writing, which makes them a strong option for Delhi travellers willing to transit Bengaluru or Mumbai. Cabin is brand new, baggage allowance is 15 kg checked, and pricing tends to undercut on launch routes.
Fare cycles by season — what you should actually pay in 2026
Port Blair pricing is more seasonal than almost any other Indian sector because demand is heavily concentrated in the dry winter window. Here is the honest range you should expect for a one-way DEL-IXZ economy fare in 2026, with the caveat that prices fluctuate week to week and the floor moves with school holidays and long weekends.
- Peak (mid-December to mid-February): ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 one-way. This is the prime winter beach window — clear skies, calm seas, every Indian metro family trying to do the same trip. Book by October at the latest if you want the lower end of this range. Flights at Christmas, New Year and Pongal weekend can spike to ₹35,000 plus on the non-stop.
- Shoulder (October-November and March-mid-May): ₹9,000 to ₹18,000 one-way. October sees the monsoon withdraw and the seas calm down, but tourist volumes have not yet ramped up — this is the sweet spot for value-conscious travellers. March and April are warm but still very pleasant for water activities, and the fares stay sane until summer holidays kick in around mid-May.
- Lean monsoon (June-September): ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 one-way. The cheapest fares of the year. The trade-off is real — south-west monsoon means rough seas, ferry cancellations, intermittent rain and lower water visibility for snorkelling. But if you are flexible, willing to risk a day of weather disruption, and want a quiet, green, dramatically cheaper trip, monsoon is genuinely underrated.
- Festive spikes: Diwali week, Christmas-New Year, Pongal, Holi and the school summer break all add 30 to 60 percent on top of the seasonal baseline. Book early or push your dates to avoid them.
For a structural view of when in the calendar to lock in the booking, see our guide on the best time to book flights from India. For the day-of-week dimension, our analysis of the cheapest days of the week to fly from India applies cleanly to the DEL-IXZ sector — Tuesday and Wednesday departures consistently run cheaper than Friday or Sunday.
Baggage, gear and the scuba kit question
Baggage rules trip up Andaman travellers more than any other Indian domestic sector because half the visitors are carrying snorkel gear, dive equipment, drone kit and an extra-large backpack of beach clothes. Here is the honest 2026 baggage landscape on DEL-IXZ.
- Standard domestic check-in allowance: 15 kg on IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa and Air India Express; 20-25 kg on Air India main-line economy depending on fare class. Cabin baggage is 7 kg plus a personal item (laptop bag or handbag), strictly enforced at IXZ.
- Excess baggage charges: ₹500 to ₹700 per extra kilogram on the low-cost carriers, which adds up brutally if you are over by 5-8 kg. Always pre-purchase excess baggage online before check-in — the airport-counter rate is typically 1.5x the online rate.
- Scuba and dive gear: Cylinders are not permitted in either checked or cabin baggage on any Indian domestic airline, full stop. Rent at the dive shop in Havelock or Neil. Regulators, BCDs, fins, masks, wetsuits and dive computers all travel fine in checked baggage but contribute meaningfully to your weight allowance — a full personal kit easily runs 12-15 kg by itself.
- Drone policy: Drones are technically permitted in cabin baggage with batteries below the 100 Wh limit and DGCA registration paperwork, but actual drone flying in the Andaman archipelago requires separate permissions from the local administration. Many tourist hotspots are restricted. Check current rules before you fly.
- Sports equipment: Stand-up paddleboards, surfboards and similar oversized items require advance booking and additional fees on most carriers. Rent on the islands instead.
The honest planning tip: pack light from Delhi, and rent gear in Havelock. Every major dive operator at Vijay Nagar Beach in Havelock has the full rental inventory you would need, and the rental cost over a four-to-seven-day trip works out cheaper than excess-baggage fees plus the headache of hauling kit through Chennai transit.
Veer Savarkar Airport — what to expect on arrival
The new Veer Savarkar International Airport terminal that opened in 2023 has transformed the arrival experience. The old single-strip building you may remember from earlier trips is gone. The replacement is a proper modern terminal with the look and feel of a mid-sized regional airport in the Northeast — high ceilings, lots of natural light, air-conditioned baggage reclaim, and a layout that actually accommodates the surge of arrivals when three flights land within an hour of each other in winter.
What you will find on landing:
- Prepaid taxi counter: Located just outside the arrivals exit. Fixed rates to Port Blair town (₹400-500), Aberdeen Bazaar (₹400-500), Phoenix Bay Jetty (₹400-500), and the major hotels in town. Pay at the counter, get a receipt, and the driver is then bound to the printed fare.
- Pre-booked transfers: If you have booked a Havelock-bound ferry the same day, your hotel or tour operator can arrange an airport pickup directly to Phoenix Bay or Haddo Wharf — usually ₹600-800. This is the smoothest option if your ferry timing is tight.
- ATMs and forex: SBI and Axis ATMs in arrivals and departures. There is no need for forex — Andaman is a domestic Indian destination and runs entirely on INR. Cards and UPI are widely accepted at hotels and large restaurants in Port Blair town, less so on Havelock and Neil where cash is still king.
- Local SIM and connectivity: Airtel, Jio and BSNL all have signal in Port Blair town and at the airport. Coverage on Havelock and Neil is patchy — Airtel and BSNL are the most reliable. Pre-load your data on the mainland; on-island top-ups are limited.
- Food and refreshments: A small food court with Indian, Chinese and South Indian options. Prices are airport-typical (a meal runs ₹400-600). The CCD-style coffee outlet is the best option for a quick caffeine fix before the boat.
The permit question — what you actually need in 2026
This is the question I get asked most often, and the honest 2026 answer surprises most first-time visitors. For Indian nationals visiting Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep), Long Island and most of the South and Middle Andaman tourist islands, no permit is required. You walk off the plane with your Aadhaar or driving licence as ID and you go. The old Restricted Area Permit requirement for Indian tourists was relaxed years ago, and the foreign-tourist Restricted Area Permit was relaxed in 2018 for most of the tourist circuit.
Where permits and restrictions still apply in 2026:
- Nicobar Islands: Entirely closed to tourists, Indian or foreign. The Nicobars are a tribal-protected zone and the only legal entries are for residents, government personnel and specific research or work purposes. Do not plan on visiting.
- Strait Island, Sentinel Island, parts of Little Andaman: Tribal-reserve areas around the Sentinelese, Onge and Jarawa tribal territories are off-limits. Approaching North Sentinel Island in particular is illegal and dangerous. The Andaman Trunk Road through the Jarawa reserve is open in convoy at fixed times but tourist photography of the reserve is banned and heavily penalised.
- Foreign nationals: No RAP required for Port Blair, Havelock, Neil, Long Island, Diglipur, Mayabunder and the broader tourist circuit since the 2018 relaxation. Foreign tourists do still need to register on arrival at IXZ — a quick desk in the arrivals area. Carry passport plus visa.
- Forest, beach and protected-area entry fees: Most marine national parks (including the snorkelling-famous spots around Havelock and Neil) charge a per-head entry fee of ₹50-100 for Indians and ₹500-1000 for foreigners, payable at the entry point. Additional fees apply for cameras, videography and scuba activity inside protected zones.
The honest summary: if you are an Indian tourist heading to Port Blair, Havelock or Neil, you need nothing more than a valid government photo ID. Plan your itinerary, book your ferry, and go.
Ferry connections — Port Blair to Havelock and Neil
This is the part of Andaman planning that breaks more itineraries than any flight delay. Ferries are the only way to get from Port Blair to Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep) and the outer islands, and ferry capacity is genuinely limited. Book your ferries before your flights if possible — and certainly before you finalise hotel bookings.
The four operators that actually matter in 2026:
- Makruzz Gold and Makruzz Pearl: The original private high-speed catamaran operator. Port Blair-Havelock in about 90 minutes, Havelock-Neil in about 60 minutes. Comfortable airline-style seating, snack service, and the most reliable cancellation refund process. Tickets ₹1,200-2,200 depending on class. Book online at makruzz.com a week or two in advance for peak season.
- Green Ocean: Major private operator with comparable speed and pricing to Makruzz. Strong on the Port Blair-Havelock and Havelock-Neil sectors. Pricing ₹1,000-2,000.
- Nautika: Newer operator that has rapidly become a tourist favourite for its newer fleet and slightly more spacious seating. Multiple daily rotations in peak season.
- ITT Majestic and Sealink: Other private high-speed options worth checking for availability and timing.
- Government Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS) ferries: The cheap option — fares from ₹250-700 — but slower, less comfortable, and the booking process is offline-first which makes them painful for visitors on tight itineraries. Useful if private operators are sold out.
Realistic planning rule: if you land at IXZ at 1pm, you can comfortably catch a 2:30pm or 3pm ferry to Havelock and reach your hotel by 5pm. If you land at IXZ at 4pm or later, plan a night in Port Blair and ferry the next morning — the last private ferry to Havelock typically departs by 2:30-3pm.
Best time to visit — beaches, weather and the diving calendar
Andaman has three meaningful seasons for a tourist, and your beach experience depends heavily on which one you pick.
- Peak winter (December to February): The classic Andaman season. Daytime highs 28-30C, low humidity, clear blue skies, calm seas, water visibility for snorkelling at 15-25 metres on a good day. Every beach photo you have ever seen of Radhanagar Beach was taken in this window. Downside: it is the most crowded, most expensive time, and you will share Vijay Nagar Beach with three hundred other tourists on a Christmas afternoon.
- Shoulder (October-November and March-May): October sees the south-west monsoon retreat and seas calm down fast. November is genuinely beautiful — dry, warm, far fewer tourists than December onwards. March and April are warm but still entirely workable for water activity. May starts to get sticky and the pre-monsoon storms can ramp up.
- Monsoon (June to September): Wet, dramatic, occasionally washout days, but the islands are at their most lush and the resorts run their lowest pricing of the year. Ferry cancellations are common in heavy weather — build at least one buffer day into your itinerary. Snorkelling visibility drops to 5-10 metres on bad days. Scuba dive shops largely close their boat operations from mid-June to mid-September. If you visit in monsoon, accept that the schedule is weather-driven and the trip will be quieter, greener and less photographable than a winter trip.
Diving and snorkelling calendar specifically: peak operating season is mid-October to mid-May. Best visibility runs December to March. PADI Open Water certification courses run year-round in Havelock but are concentrated in the November-April window. Expect to pay ₹22,000-30,000 for a four-day Open Water course, plus park and marine fees of ₹500-1,000. Fun dives run ₹4,500-6,500 per dive depending on operator and location.
For families planning around school breaks, our overview of family-friendly summer vacations from India includes Andaman planning notes for the May-June window in detail.
Food, stay and the honest budget for a Delhi-to-Andaman week
A realistic 2026 budget for two adults flying Delhi to Andaman for a 6-7 day trip, in the shoulder season, breaks down roughly like this. Adjust upward by 40-60 percent for peak winter, downward by 20-30 percent for lean monsoon.
- Flights DEL-IXZ return for two: ₹24,000-36,000 in shoulder, ₹40,000-60,000 in peak winter, ₹14,000-24,000 in monsoon.
- Ferries (Port Blair to Havelock to Neil to Port Blair) for two: ₹6,000-10,000 across the full circuit using private high-speed operators.
- Accommodation, 6 nights, two adults: ₹18,000-30,000 for clean mid-range guesthouses and small resorts; ₹50,000-90,000 for premium beachfront resorts like Taj Exotica or Barefoot at Havelock; ₹10,000-15,000 for budget hostels and homestays.
- Food: ₹500-800 per person per meal at mid-range restaurants; ₹200-400 per person at local Bengali, South Indian and dhaba-style places that locals actually eat at. Beachside seafood at Havelock is genuinely good and not always more expensive than the hotel restaurant.
- Activities: Snorkelling trip ₹1,500-2,500 per person; glass-bottom boat ride ₹500-800; scooter rental on Havelock ₹400-600 per day; one fun scuba dive ₹4,500-6,500; mangrove kayaking ₹1,500-2,500 per person.
- Local transport: Scooter is the genuine answer on Havelock and Neil — far more flexible and cheaper than per-trip auto fares. Get an International Driving Permit or a valid Indian licence and a basic helmet.
Food specifics worth knowing: the islands have a strong Bengali and South Indian culinary base because of the post-Partition resettlement history. Fresh fish is excellent — grilled red snapper, fish curry rice and chilli-garlic crab are the standout dishes. Vegetarians are well catered for, especially in Port Blair town and the resort restaurants. Tap water is not safe — drink bottled or filtered throughout.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct flight from Delhi to Port Blair in 2026?
Yes, both IndiGo and Air India operate non-stop DEL-IXZ flights in 2026, typically as morning departures with a block time of around 2 hours 30 to 2 hours 45 minutes. Frequency varies by season — daily non-stops in peak winter, reduced or alternate-day non-stops in monsoon. Always check current schedules a month or two before travel because frequencies can shift.
How much does a Delhi to Port Blair flight cost?
Honest 2026 ranges: peak winter (mid-December to mid-February) ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 one-way; shoulder (October-November and March-mid-May) ₹9,000 to ₹18,000 one-way; lean monsoon (June-September) ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 one-way. Festive weeks like Christmas, New Year, Diwali and Pongal add 30 to 60 percent on top of the baseline.
Do Indian citizens need a permit for the Andaman Islands?
No. For Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep), Neil (Shaheed Dweep), Long Island and the main South and Middle Andaman tourist circuit, Indian nationals need only a valid government photo ID like Aadhaar or a driving licence. The Nicobar Islands are entirely closed to tourists, and tribal-reserve areas around Strait Island, North Sentinel Island and parts of Little Andaman remain off-limits.
Is there an airport at Havelock or Neil?
No. There is no civilian airport at Havelock, Neil, Diglipur, Long Island or any other tourist island. Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair (IXZ) is the only commercial airport in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. From Port Blair you take a ferry — Makruzz, Green Ocean, Nautika or Sealink — to Havelock (90 minutes) and onward to Neil (about 60 minutes).
What is the cheapest time to fly Delhi to Andaman?
Lean monsoon, June to September, is the cheapest with one-way fares from around ₹6,000-12,000. The trade-off is real — south-west monsoon brings rough seas, occasional ferry cancellations, lower snorkelling visibility and most dive operators pausing boat dives from mid-June to mid-September. Shoulder season in October-November or March-April is the genuine sweet spot for value plus reliable weather.
Can I take scuba diving equipment in my flight luggage?
Most personal scuba equipment travels fine in checked baggage — regulators, BCDs, fins, masks, wetsuits and dive computers are all permitted. A full personal dive kit easily runs 12-15 kg, which eats most of your 15 kg domestic allowance. Scuba cylinders are not permitted in either checked or cabin baggage on any Indian domestic airline. The practical solution is to rent gear from the major dive operators on Havelock and Neil rather than pay excess baggage fees.
Which airlines fly Delhi to Port Blair in 2026?
IndiGo and Air India operate the non-stop DEL-IXZ sector. For one-stop options via Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai or Kolkata, you have IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air. Air India Express runs particularly competitive one-stop fares via Chennai, and Akasa is worth checking on the Bengaluru and Mumbai transit routes for newer cabins and aggressive launch pricing.
How long does a one-stop Delhi to Port Blair journey take?
Typically 5 to 7 hours total elapsed time including the transit, depending on layover length. The most common routing is via Chennai (DEL-MAA-IXZ), with the MAA-IXZ leg running about 2 hours 15 minutes. Bengaluru (DEL-BLR-IXZ) and Mumbai (DEL-BOM-IXZ) one-stops run slightly longer total durations. The non-stop, when available, is 2 hours 30 to 2 hours 45 minutes — roughly half the elapsed time of a one-stop.