'I do concede there is a problem. But there is always scope for improvement. The airport is undergoing major expansion,' Patel said.

But a spokesperson for Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates the airport, claimed there were no major delays in flight-operations.

According to Forbes magazine, the Mumbai and Delhi airports were the worst globally in terms of arrivals.

'If you flew to Mumbai or Delhi last year, more often than not your plane did not arrive on time. The international airports in those cities were the world's worst for timely arrivals,' the magazine said.

To add to the problem, the airport does not seem equipped enough to cope with rains.

A heavy downpour Monday resulted in runway No. 28 being closed around 8.30 p.m. as visibility fell to 700 metres, leading to massive congestion and flight delays. The arrival terminal at the domestic airport was water-logged and there were huge traffic jams on roads leading to it.

'The arrival terminal was flooded but all other terminals functioned normally,' said a DIAL official.