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The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB), has reported a 12.5 per cent increase in the passenger traffic to over 14.38 million during the year 2014 compared to 2013. The airport has thus become the third busiest airport in the country.
Of this, the domestic passenger traffic grew faster, at 13.5 per cent to 11.55 million during the corresponding period. On the other hand, the international passenger traffic grew only 9 per cent, to around 2.82 million.
The cargo volumes handled at the airport in 2014 grew 13.7 per cent over the previous year to reach a total volume of 270,840 tonnes in 2014. "September 2014 recorded the highest domestic cargo tonnage turnover of 10,744 tonnes, resulting in a 38 per cent growth from the corresponding period in 2013," said a release from BIAL.
This year also marked the opening of the extended terminal with enhanced facilities, along with new commercial offering and the capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually.
A resurgent domestic aviation market saw new airlines and routes, resulting in a 14 per cent increase in Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) with an average of 359 ATMs per day. Domestic ATMs increased 15.4 per cent and clocked 110,773 movements in 2014, while international ATMs rose to 20,330.
G V Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, BIAL, said, "A focused approach centered around the passenger experience has paid rich dividends, making the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru a strategic aviation hub in under seven years of its operations. The new connections, facilities and services launched this year are a step forward in raising the bar for airports around the country."
With a constant focus on improving connectivity from Bengaluru, 2014 was a year for many new connections at the airport. Air Asia commenced operations from the KIA and declared Bengaluru as their primary hub airport.
Existing airlines like Indigo and Jet Airways introduced international flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively from Bengaluru. Luxury international fliers were introduced to La Premiere first-class service of Air France in 2014. Additionally, with the help of the revised flight timings Air France brought the US West Coast closer to Bengaluru, offering passengers shorter flying hours for travel from San Francisco to Bengaluru.
The year also saw many new connections at the airport. Air Asia commenced operations from the KIAB and also declared Bengaluru as their primary hub airport.
Existing airlines like Indigo and Jet Airways introduced international flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively from Bengaluru. Luxury international fliers were introduced to La Premiere first-class service of Air France in 2014. Additionally, with the help of the revised flight timings Air France brought the US west coast closer to Bengaluru, offering passengers shorter flying hours for travel from San Francisco to Bengaluru.
During the year, BIAL introduced a Variable Tariff Plan for airport charges, a pioneering move that allows airlines to take advantage of reduced fees during non-peak hours and pass on the lower fares to travelers. The User Development Fee (UDF) was also determined for the first time by the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) since the airport became operational in 2008. The UDF which is collected as part of the airline ticket cost will be brought down to a level that has been in existence for the last six years (Rs 306.00 per passenger), from April 1, 2015.
