Definition
A connection between two flights on the same journey, usually under 24 hours on international routes. You wait at the transit airport, normally without passing immigration, and then board the next flight to your destination.
Layover or stopover?
On international tickets, a break of under 24 hours is a layover, also called a connection. Longer than 24 hours counts as a stopover, which can change the fare and usually means entering the country. On Indian domestic routes, a few hours in Delhi between Patna and Bengaluru is a layover too.
How long is long enough?
Airlines set a minimum connection time for each airport, and a ticket sold as one booking will respect it. That minimum assumes nothing goes wrong. Practical buffers:
| Situation | Comfortable layover |
|---|---|
| One ticket, same terminal, Gulf hub (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi) | 2–3 hours |
| One ticket, change of terminal | 3–4 hours |
| Domestic to international in India, one ticket | 3 hours or more |
| Separate tickets | 4–6 hours, overnight for long-haul |
Long layovers
A Chennai family flying to Toronto via Doha or Dubai might accept an 8–14 hour layover for a cheaper fare. Some airlines offer transit hotels or lounge access on long connections for certain fares, so ask before booking. Leaving the airport needs whatever entry permission an Indian passport holder needs for that country. Staying airside, most airports don't ask for a visa, but a few countries require an airport transit visa from Indians in some cases. See airside transit and transit visa.
With a toddler or a parent in their seventies, a 3-hour layover often beats a 70-minute one that leaves no time for food, toilets and long walks between gates.