BENGALURU: In a major public relations disaster for the Kempegowda International Airport, its operator Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) cancelled the launch of its international operations from Terminal 2 on Thursday at the proverbial eleventh hour. With the first flight by Singapore Airlines set to arrive at T2 at 10.45 am on August 31, it issued an official release late on Wednesday night postponing the launch. The official reason cited was the need to offer a seamless transition for passengers.
An official release put out by noon on Wednesday gave a list of all the international flights that would operate on August 31 and elaborated on the wonderful passenger amenities that T2 had in store. It also specified that the Singapore Airline flight would land at 10.45 am. Nine hours later, the airline operator did a volte face. An internal note that was circulating since morning among airport staff said operations would continue from Terminal 1 only even from Thursday.
The statement by a spokesperson on Wednesday night said, “The proposed shifting of international operations to Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru on August 31, 2023, stands postponed. After consulting all regulatory authorities, BIAL will release a firm date for transition of international operations tomorrow. The last-minute decision was taken during the final preparedness review in order to provide an optimal and seamless transition for our passengers. International operations will continue to remain in Terminal 1 until further notice. We regret the inconvenience caused by this decision and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work towards creating the best possible travel experience for our passengers. We request all international passengers to reach out to their respective airlines for any further information.”
Even the airlines involved in the operations did not seem to know of the cancellation until evening. Singapore Airlines, Oman Air, Indigo and Air India were all set to operate a total of eight flights on Thursday.
Sources inside the airport said the International 'Arrivals' and 'Departure' portions were not yet ready with the necessary passenger amenities forcing BIAL to put off the launch. “Many minor aspects like the food and beverage stalls, the infrastructure in the Security Hold Area and so many other portions were not complete. A huge rush to complete them was on since Tuesday. Airport authorities were confident of completing it by Wednesday night but it appears that they could not do as planned,” said a source familiar with the developments.
Another source said that the airport operator was looking at a launch date of September 12.
The official release earlier in the day billed the transition to take place on Thursday as a significant milestone for the airport. “Passengers travelling on Singapore Airlines flight SQ508/SQ509 between Singapore and Bengaluru will be the first to experience the international zone of the new terminal. IndiGo will make its debut in international operations in T2 with its flight 6E1167 to Colombo, it said. Terminal 2 will facilitate 30 to 35 daily international departures on 27 airlines (25 International and 2 Indian),” the release added.
The news was greeted with incredulity on social media, with many pondering how such a big step could be cancelled at the eleventh hour like this.