
BENGALURU: The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) will be issuing a fresh advisory on the closure hours for commercial flights at the airport on account of the upcoming Aero India 2025 at Yelahanka.
The non-operational hours announced earlier for nine days at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) are set to be reduced because of the jam-packed flights to Pragyaraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela event.
A source from the airport operator, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), told TNIE, “We will be issuing a revised advisory in a day or two. Talks have been held with the airlines and other stakeholders in this connection.”
As per the advisory issued on January 21, the airport announced a closure of 47 hours from February 5 to 14 with three-hour closures to be effected on most of the days in the mornings and the afternoons.
Sources in the airline industry charged that greed on the part of airlines was the reason for this sudden crisis they find themselves in. “Two mega events, Aero India and the Kumbh Mela are clashing this year. Due to the overwhelming demand to attend the Mela, airlines went ahead and booked the tickets. The flights from Bengaluru to Pragyaraj are overflowing. It is not just the mela, bookings have been made across other sectors also. Literally, everyone knows months ago that the Aero India would happen in February on these days in 2025. However, the major issue now is the Kumbh Mela as devotees will somehow have to be sent to their destination due to religious sentiments and those flights cannot be held back,” he said.
A source privy to the meeting held on Wednesday (January 29) said, “The plan as of now is to reduce the 3-hour closure period announced in the morning and afternoons to 2.5 hrs. During the additional half-an-hour gained in each shutdown period, flights to Pragyaraj can depart. There are 4 or 5 flights daily during that closure period.”
BIAL, Airports Authority of India and representatives of airlines have agreed to the new schedule, he added.
Asked about its plan for the closure period, the operator of the maximum number of flights in the country IndiGo said, “As of now, our plan is to reimburse the fare for all the flights booked during that period. In case, the flight time is 10 or 15 minutes close to the opening time, then we will operate those flights by deferring them for some time. We have informed all our passengers about the plan.”
Another airport source added that the closure is impacting airlines more this time since the number of air traffic movements (arrivals and departures) as well as flyers have shot up in the last two years from Bengaluru.
An industry expert said, “This is specifically why Bengaluru needs a second airport or at least the opening up of the HAL airport temporarily in times of such emergencies.”