BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consented to declare open the second terminal of the city’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the first week of October. The communication from the Prime Minister’s Office was sent to airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) on Wednesday.
According to airport sources, BIAL had requested Modi to do the honours for the Rs 13,000-crore terminal. The exact date will be conveyed by the PMO shortly, a top source said. BIAL authorities had told TNIE recently that the second terminal will be declared open in the final quarter of 2022. BIAL had recently invited Request for Proposals from qualified and experienced bidders for the inaugural launch event of the second terminal.
With Modi set to formally dedicate to the nation, the suburban railway project and the Sir M V Visvesvaraya Terminal on June 20, the airport terminal will be the third major infrastructure project to be declared open by him for the city. The much-delayed ‘garden terminal’ is set to boost KIA’s passenger capacity by an additional 25 million annually, which is only the phase I of the expansion project. An additional 20 million passengers per annum can travel when phase II is completed.
KIA, the country’s third biggest airport had recorded 33 million passengers in 2020 before Covid-19 struck. Labour shortage and flying restrictions shrank patronage. T2 It will have a total built-up area of 2.54 lakh sqm. All arrivals have been planned on the ground floor while departures will happen on the first floor. A lagoon with a big outdoor garden around it, a multi-modal transport hub, including Namma Metro, solar panels on the roof, artificial waterfalls, elevated walkways and green seating areas are among its special features.While Larsen and Turbo is carrying out construction work, US architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is designing T2.
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