The Bangalore International Airport has recorded a 11.7% growth in traffic volumes in the first six months of this fiscal year compared with the same period a year ago by serving 12.39 million passengers. The domestic passenger traffic has registered a growth of 13.3% compared with the previous year while international passenger traffic has grown 3.6%, t h e Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), which operates the airport, said in a press release.
Industries and infrastructure minister RV Deshpande, in whose portfolio the airport falls, said: “The way the traffic volumes have increased is surprising. This has surpassed all our calculations and shows how dynamic has Bengaluru and the rest of Karnataka have become and how they are attracting people.“
Air traffic movements (ATMs) have witnessed an increase of 2.9%, clocking 91,644 ATMs with an average of 501 ATMs per day. Average passenger movement per day was at 67,700. The highest single-day passenger traffic of 78,278 was recorded on May 19 this year.
The BIAL, the minister added, is working on initiatives to see the airport can handle more number of take-offs and landings.
The international airport, which is now in its ninth year of operation and controlled by Canada’s Fairfax Group, has witnessed a steady growth in cargo traffic as well. Cargo traffic has grown 8.1% in the first half of this year over last year to reach a volume of 173,010 tonne.
On-time performance, the BIAL said, touched 86% in the said period, the airport release said and added, “With efficiency being the cornerstone of the airport’s operations, baggage delivery time excelled with the first bag delivered within 8 minutes of the parking of the flight for domestic and 10 minutes for international arrivals,“ the airport said.
“Our goal is to make the Bengaluru international airport one of the best in the world, and to achieve that, we have to step up the infrastructure,“ Deshpande said. “The work to add a second runway is on. And, the proposal to build a second terminal is pending with the Centre and we are pursuing it with the ministry of civil aviation,“ he added.
The government, according to him, has planned metro connectivity and suburban rail service from either the city or from Yeswantpur.
