Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport Slips To 13th Spot In ACI Passenger Service Ranking

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Showing a drastic decline in the passenger service quality index, Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport slipped to 13th position in India, down from 6th place in the previous quarter (October - December 2025). 

According to the Airports Council International (ACI) report for January - March 2026, the airport scored 4.87 out of 5 in the latest survey.

Surprisingly, just 3 months ago in the last quarter of 2025, Indore was ranked 6th in the country. 

Top airports

Pune airport topped the list with 4.96 points, followed by Chennai (4.95) and Goa (4.94). Varanasi and Tiruchirappalli shared 4th and 5th positions with 4.90 points each.

Top five airport rankings in Q1 2026:

Pune - 1st (4.96 points)

Chennai - 2nd (4.95 points)

Goa - 3rd (4.94 points)

Varanasi - 4th (4.90 points)

Tiruchirappalli - 5th (4.90 points)

Indore airport passengers dissatisfied

The report said Indore’s decline is mainly due to passenger dissatisfaction in 28 out of 31 service parameters. 

Key issues highlighted include poor cleanliness, weak WiFi connectivity, lack of charging points, and limited entertainment options.

Passengers also raised concerns about healthcare facilities, restaurants, security staff behaviour, and insufficient signage and directions inside the airport premises.

New facilities did no help 

Although the airport recently introduced new facilities like a café and expansion of waiting areas, these improvements did not improve passenger ratings significantly.

In the overall national list of 16 major airports, Indore is now behind cities like Raipur, Kozhikode, Coimbatore, and Bhubaneswar.

Earlier, Indore had performed strongly. DABH airport ranked 3rd in India in 2025 with 4.92 points, raising expectations of further improvement. 

However, the latest decline is seen as a setback for the airport’s reputation and future rankings.