Bengaluru airport records 25% growth in overall traffic

Anil Urs Updated - January 19, 2018 at 05:09 PM.

‘18 million passengers used the airport in 2015’

Domestic passenger traffic showed a growth of 27.4 per cent over the previous year while international passenger traffic grew 15.8 per cent K MURALI KUMAR

The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) served over 18 million passengers and recorded a 25.2 per cent growth in overall traffic in 2015.

The airport’s domestic passenger traffic showed a growth of 27.4 per cent over the previous year while international passenger traffic grew at 15.8 per cent.

Traffic volume
A resurgent domestic aviation market saw new airlines and routes, resulting in a 12.7 per cent increase in air traffic movements (ATMs) with an average of 404 ATMs daily. Domestic ATMs also increased by 13.6 per cent and clocked a total of 1,25,481 movements in 2015 while international ATMs rose to 21,986.

GV Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, BIAL, said, “Passenger traffic remained resilient in the face of global uncertainties and we were able to maintain the expected growth range forecast for the year. We have grown not only in terms of traffic and airline partnerships but also in our relentless focus on creating an international airport experience for our passengers. This is a testimony that KIAB is an airport of choice for domestic and international travellers, and that we are closer to our long-term goals of becoming a gateway to the southern region.”

Future plans “The design of the proposed T2 will commence this year (2016) by the US architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). T2 will be constructed in two phases; the first phase which will cater to 20 million passengers annually (MPA) is expected to be commissioned by 2021, while the second phase of the project will add another 15 million passenger capacity,” Reddy said.

When completed, T2 will cater to 35 MPA. Additionally, the existing facility (T1) will undergo further expansion to accommodate the growth till the first phase of T2 is completed. The combined capacity of T1 and T2 will be approximately 55 MPA.

The construction of the second runway will begin in 2016 and will include the development of a 4000 m x 60 m new south parallel runway. The second runway development is scheduled to begin shortly.

This will be followed by the main airfield development that includes pavement works, CAT III B airfield lighting, signage, drainage, fuel hydrants and associated works.

Published on January 19, 2016 16:26