From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, April 11: The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of the Kempe Gowda International Airport in Bengaluru has registered an all-time record of passenger traffic, serving 26.91 million passengers in the financial year 2017-18.

At the end of March 2018, BLR Airport recorded a passenger growth of 17.6% over the previous fiscal. The Airport witnessed 197,330 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) during the year, a growth of 10.8%.

During this period, cargo movement saw a growth of 9.1% with a total of 348,403 metric tonnes (MT). As many as 44 airlines connected Bengaluru with 67 destinations (46 domestic and 21 international) during this period. 

The BLR Airport broke several of its own records in the course of the 12-month period of the previous fiscal. It witnessed the highest ever passenger movement on February 19, 2018 with a record 91,339 travelers passing through BLR Airport on a single day.

The highest-ever ATMs in a single day was 664 on March 17, 2018.

On March 25, the 150 millionth passenger passed through BLR Airport.

March was the busiest month of the year with BLR Airport handling 2,549,523 passengers and 31,996 MT of airfreight throughput.

The BLR Airport also showed a strong On Time Performance (OTP), a key performance indicator, achieving 84% as against last year’s 82%.  

“The financial year 2017-18 was a significant year for the Kempe Gowda International Airport, Bengaluru as we saw robust growth in both passenger traffic, air traffic and cargo throughput, resulting in record numbers. This is truly a reflection of the status of Bengaluru as one of the fastest growing cities in India, and its growing economic might,’’ said Hari Marar, MD and CEO of BIAL.

He said: ``We look forward to 2018-19, which will be a year of several enhancements in technology and infrastructure, powered by digital transformation at the heart of all that we do, ensuring that the BLR Airport continues to deliver a superlative passenger experience and be amongst the top airports in the Country.’’

BLR Airport averaged 541 ATMs per day. Domestic ATMs grew at 12.1% and international by 2.7%. The domestic and international passengers grew by 19.8% and 6%, respectively. 

The year also saw BLR Airport’s cargo operations scaling new heights, with an overall growth of 9.1%, handling 348,403 metric tonnes. International cargo handling increased by 10.2% over the previous year while domestic cargo increased by 7.2%.

In 2017-18, BLR Airport added six new routes with four in the domestic sector including Vododara, Jammu, Silchar and Udaipur and two international including Amsterdam and Bahrain. Two new airlines that began operations were DHL Aviation International Cargo and Malindo Air.

More Growth, Expansion in year 2018

Work on the second runway and design approvals for Terminal 2 began in 2017. Construction is scheduled to begin during the middle of 2018, with the second runway operational by 2019 and T2 by 2021.

US architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed T2, while Turner International will be the PMC for this expansive project.  T2 will be constructed in two phases; the first phase which will cater to 25 million passengers annually (MPA), while the second phase of the project will add another 20 million passenger capacity. It is estimated that on completion of both phases of T2, BLR Airport’s overall capacity would reach the 65 million mark.

Apart from infrastructure development, BIAL will continue its focus on the path of innovation, continuous improvement, digital and technology adoption and ensure that the BLR Airport continues on its sustainability journey.

Kempe Gowda International Airport, Bengaluru is the first Greenfield airport in India to be built as a private-public partnership. It is operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), where private promoters hold 74% (Fairfax 54% and Siemens Projects Ventures 20%) stake in BIAL, while the government holds the remaining 26% (Karnataka State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited – 13%, Airport Authority of India – 13%).

The Airport began operations in May 2008 and has significantly enhanced the regional and worldwide air connectivity of Bengaluru and Karnataka. It is currently the busiest airport in South India and the third largest in the Country.

Kempe Gowda International Airport, Bengaluru has been adjudged the ‘Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia’ by Skytrax in 2017.