BENGALURU: The last week of February turned out to be a record-shattering week for the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). It broke the record for flyers and flights since its launch on May 24, 2008.
In an exclusive interaction with TNIE, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bangalore International Airport Ltd, which operates KIA, Satyaki Raghunath said, “The highest number of passengers recorded on a single day was on February 23 with 1,29,466 flyers passing through the airport. On an average, the airport handles around 1,18,000 passengers daily.”
Four days later, it broke its all-time record for takeoff and landing of aircraft. “On February 27, we recorded 795 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs), another major milestone for us.”
A major infrastructure work under way is the Western Crossfield Taxiway (WCT) that will connect the existing runways of the airport.
‘BLR Pulse’ app to help pax plan, reduce queues
“The WCT involves constructing two new parallel taxiways, which will connect the existing north and south runways on the western side of the airport. The construction work has commenced, and the project is planned for operationalisation by early 2027,” Satyaki Raghunath said.
WCT is set to provide multiple benefits. “It will enhance runway circulation by providing additional connectivity between the north and south runways. This will allow for free flow of aircraft in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, improving the sequencing of departing and arriving aircraft,” Raghunath said.
The new taxiways will significantly improve taxi times (the time spent by an aircraft on the ground before landing or after it takes off) across the airside, especially for aircraft operating from Terminal 1 which depart from or arrive at the South Runway. This will result in time savings and more efficient operations, he explained.
On the delay in operationalising full-body scanners announced for T2, he said, “As of now, three such scanners have been installed at Terminal 2 and trials completed. However, the scanners are yet to be operationalised as the necessary regulatory approvals are in progress.”
On steps taken to reduce queues, he said, “A personalised digital travel companion, the ‘BLR Pulse’ app is available for flyers to plan their journey better and avoid long queues. It offers real-time updates on various touch points like navigation time estimates for entry gates, check-in counters and security checks.”