BENGALURU: International flights will begin operations at Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport from September 12, the airport operator announced late on Thursday night. This comes after the proposed launch on August 31 was abruptly postponed at the last minute.
Singapore Airlines will operate the first flight (SQ 508) to arrive at the new terminal from Singapore at 10.55 am.
An official statement from airport operator Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said, "After consultation with regulatory authorities and other stakeholders, BIAL is pleased to announce the commencement of international operations at BLR Airport’s Terminal 2 on 12th September 2023, from 10.45 am onwards. This decision has been taken after careful evaluation and consideration of various factors, including regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and passenger convenience.”
The statement added that all steps were being taken for a seamless transition and a smooth relocation of international operations to the new facility in close coordination with its airline partners.
Confusion among flyers
Meanwhile, the X handles of both @Blrairport and many airlines were flooded with queries from anxious flyers who wanted to know whether they had to go Terminal 1 or 2. The confusion was compounded with most airlines showing international departures and arrivals at T2 while Bengaluru airport website alone was showing departures and arrivals on T1.
Some members of the public vented their ire. Srikanth tweeted, “Was this Tamasha required? Any experienced senior person will know 2-3 days in advance whether work will be completed or not. Postponement of private house shifting to airport operation is a huge difference, surely BIAL knows this. Don’t repeat this Tamasha in future." Another Twitter user Kushal Kumar Dhar wrote, “It is a big event. Authority should declare the final shifting date with some margin of atleast 7 days so that travellers should not be affected.”
BIAL also received support from some quarters. Bengalurean Janardhan K V tweeted, “Hope to hear updates soon. Of course, we understand that such big changes will always have some hurdles. Take your time and publish confirmed date.”