Delhi’s international airport can turn any dream holiday into a nightmare. The “ongoing renovation” at the airport seems never-ending, leading to space being confined and claustrophobic within the airport building. And if you thought that you would be greeted with the traditional Indian hospitality, where the guest is considered next to God, you are in for a rude awakening.

The bottleneck at the immigration counter has allegedly led to women fainting and there has even been a report of a passenger suffering an epileptic fit due to the stifling environment and the length of the wait. Even if you manage to patiently wait your turn to reach the counter, you are unlikely to be rewarded with a warm smile. The immigration officials are anything but friendly, making you feel guilty for forcing them to work while you come on holiday!

The renovation work, begun in January 2007, is only 50% complete and Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced on March 11 that the deadline for completion had been extended by 2 months. Wait there’s more. Despite the Delhi International Airport being the second busiest one in the country, after Mumbai, it remains a squalid affair, with toilets that you would use only at gunpoint. I personally would rather risk kidney failure than walk into the airport bathrooms.

Then of course you also need to leave the country using the same airport. This is easier said than done. There are serpentine queues to negotiate to the departure terminal, so make sure you reach the airport well in time. Passengers have missed their flights just trying to enter the terminal. Then there’s the human jam at the gate to enter the airport building. The elderly, children and handicapped passengers suffer the most in the gut-crushing struggle to get through the entrance. If you do make it into the airport building in time, you still need to maneuver the bottlenecks for the x-ray, check-in and security check.

On a more positive note, however, the airport authorities promise a vastly expanded and totally upgraded international airport at the nation’s capital, all geared towards hosting the 2010 Common Wealth Games. The airport by then will have state-of-the-art terminals and a larger number of runways, which would hopefully take care of the current problem of congestion and delayed flights. And the numerous passenger complaints have led to the aviation ministry taking a more active role in hastening the progress of the renovation work. But till then – caveat emptor.