A foreign national has expressed frustration over the immigration process at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in New Delhi, citing long queues and time-consuming security checks. He claimed that such delays are not common at other international airports.
The traveler shared his thoughts on Reddit, which were later posted on the r/AirTravelIndia subreddit. In his post, he criticized Indian airports for requiring passengers to remove all electronics — “One thing I hate about Indian airports is that they make you remove every single piece of electronics from your carry-on,” he wrote.
He further added: “In Europe, no one has ever asked me to empty my bag and put it in a tray, not even on flights to the US or Canada. PS: I hate the long lines at security and immigration at IGI T3 Credits.”
Most airports, including those in India, still rely on older X-ray scanners that require passengers to remove electronics from their luggage for clearer inspection. In contrast, several countries have upgraded to newer 3D CT scanners – used in the UK, Europe and the Middle East – which can scan overstuffed bags without passengers having to remove their devices or liquids.
Internet users share their experiences
The Reddit post sparked a flood of reactions from social media users, many of whom shared similar or conflicting experiences.
One user wrote: “It’s not just about that. You have to take off your belt, watch, wallet, sunglasses, pretty much everything except the clothes you’re wearing.” Another replied: “No, I was wearing a chained shirt and baggy jeans with a chain, legitimately naked me in the safe stun booth at CMT.”
Another commenter said: “I’m in the US and here they make us take off our belt, watch, wallet… They require us to remove all large electronics and put them in a separate bin – laptops, cameras, tablets, etc.” The user added that shoes are even required to be removed in the US.
A third user commented: “Even at Heathrow you’ll have to remove all the stuff you said… I lost some cables there. Sad sounds.”
Another added: “Several US airports have made me do this. Dubai is the smoothest check in I’ve ever had, I don’t have to do anything!”
