Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport processes record cargo in 2021, passenger numbers up 28.6%

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here processed an all-time high tonnage of 4,06,688 metric tonnes of cargo during the calendar year 2021, recording a 28.6 per cent growth compared to 2020. Passenger numbers at 16.07 million were 18.9 per cent more than 2020.

Last year’s cargo figures were also 7.2 per cent more than the pre-Covid level tonnage of 379,348 MT in 2019, according to the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). However, passenger growth could suppress growth in 2022 due to Omicron, fears the airport operator.

International cargo recorded a 32.8 per cent growth, while domestic cargo grew at 21.3 per cent. The United States and Europe continue to be the top trade lanes from the Bengaluru airport.