Bengaluru airport gearing up for growing international air passenger traffic

With the resumption of international flights to and from India, the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) now has 25 daily international departures, up from the earlier 10 per day.

Currently, KIAB Airport is connected to 21 international destinations operating through 24 airlines. A Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) media release states that the airport will be adding newer routes later this year to Seattle (American Airlines) and will be strengthening its existing route to San Francisco (Air India) with United Airlines set to launch weekly flights in October, connecting the world’s two biggest tech hubs – Bengaluru and San Francisco.

“Air travel recovery is expected to be faster following the resumption of international operations. While passenger traffic grew by 19% in CY2021 (vs pre-Covid CY 2019) due to travel restrictions and cross-border entry, it is expected to grow steadily in the coming months, driven by the strong leisure and business travel demand from the city of Bengaluru,” states the company release.

The domestic passenger traffic recovery has been promising (nearly 80% higher than Covid levels), especially during the first three weeks of March this year. The domestic Air Traffic Movement (ATM) recovery has been close to 90% of pre-Covid levels and is expected to grow further in the coming weeks.

To address the expected increase in passenger traffic and make the airport experience more seamless, BIAL has deployed automation-enabled technology at various checkpoints such as terminal entry, check-in, security check, immigration, and customs. The existing technology such as self-baggage drops, smart security lane with automated tray retrieval system, along with other contactless technology will further improve the overall airport experience. 

"Delivering superior customer experience and consistently improving operational efficiency has become a strategic priority as passenger volumes are expected to grow over the next few months. The timely announcement of the resumption of international flight operations ahead of the busy summer travel season has set a positive tone for the industry. With continuous infrastructure development and technology integrations, BLR Airport is well prepared to handle larger passenger volumes, " says Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited.