DALLAS – Possibly becoming the fastest growing airport in the world, India’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) in Bangalore is experiencing huge passenger movement, surpassing the 250 million mark since its opening.
In addition, the opening of the long-awaited Terminal 2 is only a few months away. While speaking with a BIAL spokesperson, we covered a preview of the growth ahead for BLR.
Airways had the chance to speak with a BLR representative to discuss the growth of the airport and the launch of the new terminal, among other topics.
SG: BLR has just reached 250 million do you see this number increasing in the near future? Perhaps it is safe to say that BLR is the fastest growing airport in India or, for that matter, in South Asia as well.
BLR: BLR Airport has passed the 250 million passenger mark since its launch in 2008. We have handled 2 million air traffic movements (ATM), making us the public-private partnership (PPP) airport ) the fastest in South India to reach this milestone. BLR airport is also progressing between 65 and 70% in the management of international passenger traffic.
A key aspect that has led to the growth in passenger traffic has been improved connectivity between domestic and international destinations. The introduction of new carriers is coupled with the introduction of new routes at BLR airport. With the onset of the pandemic, traffic growth over the past two years has been slower than usual. However, BLR Airport has historically experienced significant growth amidst adversity.
BLR Airport aspires to reach 25 million passenger movements through Terminal 2 (in the initial phase) and 36 million movements through Terminal 1. Thus, BLR Airport is expected to handle 60 million passengers in the next few years depending on increasing demand and other factors. We expect to handle 85-100 million passengers by the early 2030s.
The opening of Terminal 2 is fast approaching, how many passengers and aircraft movements can it accommodate in its initial phase?
Prior to Covid-19, BLR Airport had a capacity of approximately 36 million passengers in Terminal 1. As mentioned above, with Terminal 2 we aspire to accommodate 25 million passengers when the first phase will be completed. An additional 20 million passengers per year will be able to travel when phase two is completed.
Terminal 1 was originally built to handle 20 million passengers per year (MPPA), and is now capable of handling 36 MPPA and 90 air transport movements (ATM) per hour. The growth can be attributed to technological innovations deployed at the airport like Digi Yatra, Smart Security System and Contactless Self-Baggage Drop.
Would domestic and international operations start from T2 when it opens? If so, which airlines would be the first to move to T2?
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Featured Image: BLR Airport
