Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL–GMR), has been named best airport of the year at the Wings India 2026 awards, organised by the civil aviation ministry.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport was adjudged best airport in the above 25 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category.
Announcing the awards, the ministry said in a post on X: “#WingsIndia2026 recognised excellence across the aviation ecosystem, honouring the best in the industry at a grand ceremony. Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu presented the awards to the winners. From airports and airlines to manufacturing and services, the awards celebrated outstanding contributions that are shaping the future of Indian aviation."
"The convergence of global and domestic stakeholders reflected the sector’s collective commitment to innovation, growth, and excellence for tomorrow,” it added.
Apart from Delhi and Bengaluru, Pune Airport won best airport (10–25 MPPA), while Lucknow International Airport Limited was named best airport (5–10 MPPA).
Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair received the award for best airport (<5 MPPA). Under the regional connectivity scheme, Hollongi Airport, Itanagar was recognised as the best airport under RCS/UDAN.
In airline categories, Air India Express won the award for domestic connectivity. Ghodawat Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. – Star Air was named winner for regional/UDAN connectivity.
For non-scheduled operations, Indo Pacific Aviation Pvt Ltd won NSOP – fixed wing, while Pawan Hans Limited received the award for NSOP – helicopters.
InterGlobe Aviation Limited was awarded best aviation service provider. The cargo services category saw a joint award for Air India Limited and WFS (Bengaluru) Pvt Ltd.
Other winners included Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt. Ltd. for ground services, GMR Aero Technic for MRO services, and IndianOil Skytanking Private Limited for fuel services.
Air India Limited also won the award for aviation skills & training, while Vman Aviation Services IFSC Pvt Ltd was recognised for aircraft leasing. In the drone segment, ideaForge Technology Ltd. received the award.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was named best contributor to Atmanirbhar Bharat. Boeing India won the ecosystem accelerator award, while Airbus was recognised for aircraft component manufacturing.
Carbon Light Private Limited received the award for drone component manufacturing. Among states, Andhra Pradesh was named best state with a dedicated outlook for the aviation sector.
A joint award for the best state for promotion of aviation ecosystem went to Telangana, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. Assam was recognised as the most proactive state under RCS-UDAN priority areas.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar shared the award for most proactive state under RCS-UDAN non-priority areas. Karnataka and Maharashtra were named state champions in aviation.
In the innovation and sustainability categories, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) was named innovation champion, while Delhi International Airport Limited won the sustainability champion award.
