BENGALURU: It has been 100 days since domestic air services resumed in India. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) resumed air travel on May 25 after a two-month Covid-induced lockdown. In 100 days, Kempegowda International Airport welcomed 1.4 million domestic passengers with 15,658 air traffic movements (ATMs). As compared to July, there was 39% growth in ATMs and over 47% growth in passenger traffic in August, indicating a positive trend with successive measures to unlock India’s economy.
Several safety measures are being undertaken at the airport, including tech-enabled parking-to-boarding contactless journey and fac ial - reco gni t ion for self-boarding. Initiatives including ‘Touch-free Virtual Information Desks’ are outcomes of public responses to the Voice of Pax survey conducted by BIAL.
The survey recorded that more than 90% passengers considered air travel safer than any other other mode of transport. Since domestic air services resumed, the city airport has reconnected with 49 of 58 domestic city pairs, achieving 84% of the pre- Covid network. Kolkata emerged as the top destination with 13% of domestic passengers travelling to and from BIAL, followed by Delhi with 11% and Patna 6%.