Kempegowda International Airport
Kempegowda International Airport | |||||||||||
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| File:Bengaluru Airport Logo.svg | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Bengaluru | ||||||||||
| Location | Devanahalli, Karnataka, India | ||||||||||
| Opened | 23 May 2008 | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 915 m / 3,002 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 13°11′56″N 077°42′20″E / 13.19889°N 77.70556°E | ||||||||||
| Website | www.bengaluruairport.com | ||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (Apr '12 – Mar '13) | |||||||||||
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Kempegowda International Airport (IATA: BLR, ICAO: VOBL) is an international airport serving the Indian city of Bangalore. It is 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Devanahalli and is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the central business district of Bangalore, (30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Bangalore City Railway Station[3]) and covers 4,750 acres (1,920 ha).[4] It replaced the HAL airport. For the financial year 2011–12, it is the third busiest airport in the country in overall passenger traffic (12.69 million) after Delhi and Mumbai and fourth busiest in international passenger traffic.[5] It was awarded "India's best airport" for the year 2011 by the survey conducted by Skytrax.
Kempegowda International Airport handled about 12.6 million passengers and had air traffic movements (ATM) of about 330 per day in 2011.[6] The airport is expected to handle 18 million passengers in 2015. It is host to 10 domestic airlines and 21 international airlines connecting the city to about 50 destinations across India and rest of the world. It served as a hub for debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines until 20 October 2012 and serves as a focus city for Jet Airways, JetLite, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and GoAir. Former Air Deccan also had its base at BIA.
Construction
The airport project started as a public-private joint venture between Germany's Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Government of Karnataka and Airports Authority of India (AAI).[7] Construction began in July 2005, after a decade long postponement. The new airport was originally planned to accommodate 3.5 million passengers a year, but this was redesigned to handle 12 million passengers per year. The redesign resulted in an increase in the size of the terminal, number of aircraft stands, new taxiway layouts and supporting infrastructure.
A plan is being processed for a direct rail service from Bangalore Cantonment Railway Station to the Basement Rail terminal at the airport. Access on the National Highway 7 has been widened to a six-lane expressway.
Kempegowda International Airport was expected to be inaugurated on 30 March 2008, but due to delays in air traffic control (ATC) services, it was finally inaugurated on 23 May 2008 just before midnight when a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai landed. Minutes later an Indian flight to Singapore left Bangalore International Airport, making it the first take-off.
As a truly inclusive airport BIAL invited citizens of Bengaluru to share their desires for their airport, with a commitment to translating ideas into reality. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru is the first airport in the country to seek public opinion on what they want at their airport through the widely appreciated city connects campaign, „Smile Bengaluru‟. True to a city that is global in reach, the campaign received a phenomenal response, resulting in the enhanced Terminal. In line with BIAL's commitment to the community, suggestions received through the campaign from stakeholders have been implemented in the Terminal and citizens can now witness their recommendations in reality. The Terminal not only reflects the city‟s dreams, but also the culture, ethos and landscape of the state of Karnataka. At the same time, the Terminal is on par with the best in the world in terms of facilities, with double the existing area, facilities to host some of the largest aircraft, and world-class technologies.
Inspired by a smile, the roof is an aerodynamic marvel. It is the unifying element for the new and existing facilities, bringing both together as one composition. Designed by HOK, along with several leading international architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects & engineering consultants, the Terminal sports an enhanced and modern design elevation. The architectural concept is based on the idea of a dramatic swooping and curving roof, under which the building sits. It also forms a dramatic canopy to the main entrance, offering passengers and public a giant covered area, protected from the weather. The undulating wave-form provides the Terminal with greater physical presence.
With the vision of creating an „Airport in a Garden‟, the Terminal design leverages one of Bengaluru‟s many tags to offer opportunities for active and passive interaction with the landscape. The Landscape design at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru is based on Bangalore‟s reputation as Garden city and rich heritage, culture of Karnataka State, which has enhanced passenger experience while passing through the airport. The inspiration for Landscape design was Karnataka‟s varied geography, long history, scenic hill ranges, and unexplored forests. The landscape right from the trumpet provides strong visual identity through the use of simple, yet audacious planting scheme and streetscape expression. The widespread landscape encompasses mainly of entry experience at trumpet, Heritage Boulevard, roundabouts, Garden Boulevard, central park, and entry garden. It builds a sense of Garden city airport and glory for passengers emphasizing a soothing ambience and forming precincts for comfortable relaxation. The intensive landscape developed at Airport is more than 100 acres along the Main access road, central park and car park. The terminal design has integrated various tangible elements of Karnataka‟s culture and heritage like landscape, art and architecture. Through these elements the wide gamut of culture and heritage of the region is presented to passengers in the modern, efficient & elegant airport. This brings meaning and purpose, along with the efficiency and customer-friendliness that the traveller expects. The Terminal architecture embraces the landscape theme and additionally complements it with art installations at strategic locations presenting culture and heritage of Karnataka to foreign travellers as they arrive into the city, leaving a mark of the region as they progress. The art program takes into account the rich traditions of craft practice and heritage for creation of an international landmark at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The program interconnects tradition and modernity with installations demonstrating the most emblematic of painting styles, the Mysore painting and relief works in Gesso styles, integrating traditional skills with modern materials like glass.
Art gives passengers a reason to pause and appreciate the softer side of the region, evoking meaning and purpose while adding to the overall experience at the Terminal. The aim has been to create an experience and we believe that it is more meaningful when the airport‟s architecture reflects the spirit of South India.
Description
Passenger terminal
The passenger terminal is a single, fully air conditioned, four-level building capable of accommodating international and domestic operations. The basement houses the retail storage, rest areas and services. The arrival and departure areas are separated vertically with a modern, simple, straight-ahead flow system. The domestic and international departure lounges and the majority of the retail outlets are on level 2 (first floor). The check-in facilities and baggage reclaim are located on level 1 (ground floor). The terminal is designed for ease of operation and minimum maintenance.
The total floor area is approximately 170,000 m2 (1,800,000 sq ft); the terminal building is designed to accommodate 5,400 passengers at peak hour. The design reflects the best industry practice and caters for 24-hour operations, under all weather conditions. Kempegowda International Airport meets the standards set by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).[4]
The airport can handle 20 million people per annum with 35 aircraft movements per hour and an estimated 576 movements. At its peak, it can handle 720 aircraft movements in a day.
There are Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) enabled check-in counters: 90 and 25 self check-in counters.
The airport has 38 gates, 20 aero-bridges, including three double arm, and 18 remote bus bays. There are 45 aircraft stands, all of which have a fueling pit. This is the first time in Indian airports that the parking stands have fueling pits. The underground pits helps the aircraft to fuel from the stand itself.
In the first phase of development, a car park for 2,000 vehicles in front of the terminal building at the ground level has been developed for the convenience of passengers and visitors.
Hajj terminal
Bangalore International Airport has an exclusive terminal for Hajj pilgrims. This terminal can handle up to 600 passengers at a time. Designated prayer rooms for men and women and separate hot water facilities for Wadu (cleansing before prayers) are available in the terminal.[8]
Runway
Kempegowda International Airport has one runway, 09/27, 4,120 m × 60 m (13,517 ft × 197 ft), that can accommodate all types of aircraft. There are plans to build a second runway when the annual traffic reaches 18 million passengers per year which it is currently estimated to reach around 2013–2014.
Retail services and lounges
As well as a range of retail outlets the airport has dedicated departure lounges:[9]
- Domestic departure lounges are provided by
- International departure lounges include
On 21 January 2011, a new VIP departure and arrival lounge was inaugurated. One lounge at level one of the terminal will serve departing domestic and international dignitaries and the other on the ground floor will serve arriving dignitaries.[8]
As an airport BIAL believes that travel is all about new experiences and discovery. Airports are a touch point for the world to interact with the region. At the terminal, the commercial spaces will not only reflect the ethos of the Southern States that the airport is aspiring to be a hub for, but will also create experiences for passengers through the various senses of touch, see and feel. Every customer touchpoint at the airport will represent the unified philosophy of being the „Gateway to South India‟, bringing a synergy between the “New India” with its global aspirations and the “Old India” with its rich heritage and culture. With 25 retail outlets and 13 new restaurants, the airport has something for everybody. Being the global gateway to the city, the airport becomes a great destination for every traveller to take home memories of Karnataka. It is with this vision that we took a conscious effort to inculcate the ethos of the state in every aspect of the new terminal.
Malgudi Tiffin Centre an ethnic South Indian restaurant in the middle of one of the most modern airports in India will come as a pleasant surprise to the consumer. Malgudi Tiffin Centre, true to its name has a fantastic ambience. The finest ingredients and most authentic recipes come together at this outlet, offering a gastronomical opportunity to relish the true taste of Karnataka and south of India.
South Indian coffee & spices by Shoppers Stop This unique retail offering by Shoppers Stop will showcase some of the best flavors of South India, in the form of Coffee, Spices and Sweets. The products vary from the coffee sourced from Coorg and Arakku Valley, exquisite sweets from across the southern states. The store will give travellers an opportunity to take back a slice of South India and are sure to come back for more.
International The aesthetic row of Tawas and delicious noodles from Asia will offer culinary wonders for travelers at the 7 Tavas and Noodle restaurant, all with a local Indian twist A mélange of ingenuity, panache and opulence, Bar 380 invites one to indulge their senses and soak in the environment. The contemporary and stylish interiors have a swagger of their own, as does the extensive selection of 'revival' cocktails, single malts and signature house infusion cocktails. A contemporary, quick and flexible café for travelers on the go is the Urban Food market, designed to offer a wide range of convenient and delicious food and beverage products at a great value for money Shopping at the airport Domestic Handicraft & Heritage store The Lotus House designed by the award-winning Siddhartha Das Studio encourages the traveller to explore and discover the various surprises that South India has to offer. This shop is created to show the richness of Karnataka and South Indian craftsmanship and art to the rest of India and the world. The sourcing of the art and artifacts takes place directly with no middlemen with over 150 artisans. A major part of earnings go to the artisan families directly. In a new translation of classic crafts and arts, the customer can also find unique pieces, created by the artisans.
The specialty retail concept outlet Indian Fashion Accessories showcases brands like Hidesign and Fabindia which are considered pioneers in the Indian retail space for their unique offerings. The Fabindia outlet at the airport is a platform that promotes the country‟s handloom culture revolution and Hidesign outlet showcases the „affordable‟ luxury leather goods concept, based out of Pondicherry. The outlet has a contemporary architecture inspired by the culture and heritage of the brands. The product offerings range from world-class quality leather goods to handlooms and organic products.
International A mix of fiction, non-fiction, management books, comics, coffee table books and magazines will be available to the passenger in addition to confectionery at the Relay Books & Press Store. While the airport is a busy place, the O2 Spa would be the right destination to unwind and relax the traveler to face the day ahead or unwind at the end of the day.
The South Indian themed space in the International arrival hall, will sell classic Duty Free categories like: Liquor, Tobacco, Perfumes, Cosmetics and Chocolates. For the gadget lovers, the Duty Free Electronics Store - Nuance is just destined for people to experience the latest gadgets in the market. This store would sell duty free products which will be sold to international arriving passengers as permitted by customs laws.
At the international departure luxury watch boutique, Ethos will house Swiss watches, writing instruments and jewellery. Lounges at the Airport
The Plaza Premium Lounge will offer comfort, convenience and value by opening up airport lounge services and offering all transit travellers a home at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The Lounge is a global airport premium service provider and a pay-in lounge concept by the founders of the airport.
The new lounges embrace an eco-concept and will wear the latest designs from the Plaza Premium Lounge, also known as the 5th generation lounge design. Designed by Australian designer Mitchel Squires, making full use of the vast beautiful glass windows of the airport, the designs take inspiration from Bengaluru‟s lauded reputation as „The Garden City‟ by using lush green planters throughout the space to create an inviting open space with the use of natural Indian stone, coupled with warm walnut timber interiors. The low level lighting gives a calm feeling adding to the overall warm décor.
The two new lounge spaces will be located at the domestic departure and the International departure. The lounges promise to enthral guests with a combination of unparalleled ambience, facilities, services, food and beverages. The new facility will provide all travellers visiting the airport a pay-in lounge option, that is to say, anyone regardless of class of travel will have the choice of enjoying first-class airport premium lounge facilities at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.
The lounges will have a generous spread of delectable food and beverage, comfortable seating, shower for guests to freshen up, business centre, a spa and massage facilities for guests to relax and unwind. For the first time ever, the Plaza Premium Lounge will introduce live food counters that will witness fresh dosas, all kinds of egg preparations and made-to-order drinks. The time spent at the lounge will be efficient and convenient as business travellers can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and all seating is fitted with power sockets and internet.
The new facility is set to change the way one travels and designed to suit everyone from the business traveller, leisure traveller to family traveller, from quick shower facilities; a nice massage; napping facilities; business centre facilities; to delicious food to whet the appetite, there is something for everyone, and is guaranteed to enhance the airport experience.
Aviation fuel services
The airport has a fuel farm and hydrant system: a 36 kilometres (22 mi) fuel pipeline was commissioned in October 2009 by Indian Oil from Devanagonthi to the airport to reduce the need to transport jet fuel to the airport.[9]
Cargo village
The cargo village was inaugurated on 9 December 2009. It houses 120 freight forwarders and 80 custom house agents and can accommodate parking of nearly 80 trucks. There are two cargo terminals in the village. One is operated by Menzies Aviation Bobba Pvt Ltd. This terminal has an initial capacity to handle 150,000 metric tons (170,000 short tons) of cargo. The other terminal is operated by Air India SATS Joint Venture consortium. This terminal has a two-floor warehouse with a capacity of 200,000 metric tons (220,000 short tons).
Airlines and destinations
Passenger airlines
Cargo airlines
Ownership
| External videos | |
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 Terminal 1 expansion video |
BIAL is a Public Limited Company under the Companies Act formed to build, own and operate Bangalore International Airport. BIAL has been given rights by the Government of India to develop, design, finance, operate and manage the airport for 30 years from the date of commencement of commercial flight operations. It has an option to extend the right for an additional 30 years.[12] Private promoters hold a 74% (GVK 43%, Siemens Project Ventures GmbH 26%, and Unique Zurich 5%) stake in BIAL while the government holds the remaining 26% (Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation 13% and Airport Authority of India 13%).[13][14]
Renaming
On 27 February 2009, the Government of Karnataka forwarded the proposal to the central government to rename the airport after the city's founder, Kempe Gowda I. In 2011, the state government sent another proposal to the central government to name the airport after Kempegowda.[15] In 2012, the central government accepted the state government's proposal to name the airport after Kempegowda.[16] On 18 July 2013, the Union Cabinet formally approved the name change.[17] Finally, the airport was officially renamed on December 14, 2013. Along with the renaming, new terminal 1A was inaugurated on the same occasion.[18]
2010 airport expansion plans
 | This section needs to be updated. (January 2014) |
On 19 January 2010, BIAL embarked on an expansion plan and fast tracked construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal building.[19]
- The first phase of construction of the new terminal is expected to cater to passenger traffic of about 15 million per year. There are plans to expand the new terminal to cater to 36 million passengers per year.[20]
- The existing terminal would be expanded to cater to 17 million passengers per year. Work on the expansion began on 6 June 2011.[8]
- The expansion would also increase the number of check-in counters and the seating capacity at the waiting areas. Once done, Terminal 1 would sport a brand new look and will be capable of handling the A380 aircraft.[8][21]
- To reduce the number of flight delays due to fog it is proposed that the runway will be upgraded to Category III B standard. This upgrading will be done when the second runway will be constructed (along with Terminal 2).
Runway repair work
In January 2012, BIAL announced that the airport would remain fully closed to all flight operations from 11 March until 3 April 2012 between 10:30 and 17:30 IST (05:00 UTC to 12:00 UTC) during which the top layer of its only runway was completely replaced. Following this initial phase, the runway was partly closed during phases 2 and 3 until 1 May.[22][23]
Connectivity
Road
Taxi services are available to and from the airport.[24] As an alternative to taxis, passengers can use car rental services.[25]
Auto rickshaws are not allowed beyond the trumpet interchange leading to the airport, but passengers can get dropped off at the trumpet interchange by an auto rickshaw and then use an airport shuttle bus from the interchange.[26]
Shuttle service provided by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), connects parts of the city to the airport. This service is known as Vayu Vajra. BMTC runs nine routes using its fleet of Green Volvo buses. These buses make 251 trips in a day. Vayu Vajra is a 24/7 service. All Vayu Vajra services have route numbers designated with a KIAS prefix.[27][28]
Proposed high speed rail link
As the airport is 40 kilometres (25 mi) outside the city, a new high-speed rail link has been approved to connect it to the city.[29] The high-speed rail link would be integrated with the Bangalore Metro and would cover a distance of 33 kilometres (21 mi) with four stations: Cubbon Road (Terminal Station), Hebbal, Yelahanka, and Bangalore International Airport (Terminal Station).[30] The project is expected to cost ₹6,900 crore (US$830 million). Of the ₹6,900 crore (US$830 million), the State Government would contribute ₹532 crore (US$64 million) (mainly for land acquisition) while the Central Government would contribute ₹1,040 crore (US$120 million).[31]
Awards and honours
- Even though there was an economic slowdown, BIA managed to keep its traffic base and route network stable. It was hence awarded "The Routes Asia Airport Marketing Award" chosen among five others in the Indian subcontinent.[32]
- At the Emerging Markets Airports Awards 2010, held in Dubai, BIA was awarded "The Best Emerging Airport in Indian sub-continent."[33][34]
- It received a platinum certification from IATA in January 2010 for becoming "The first airport in India to be 100% Bar Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) compliant."[8]
- At the CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards 2010 held at Delhi, BIA was awarded "The Best Managed Airport in India."[35]
- CII Most Innovative Environmental Best Practice Award – 2013
- Certified ISO22301:2012
- Biztech2.com & Network18‟s unique CIO recognition and engagement in partnership with Forrester for CIO Grandmaster award & Certificate of Recognition for Business Intelligence
- Top Green IT Enterprise Award 2013 awarded by Schneider Electric and CIO Magazine
- GreenCo award for one of the 9 GreenCo rated company by CII
- Airport of the Year‟ award at the 5th South East Cargo & Logistics Awards
- ISO 50001:2011 for Energy Management System for its commitment towards maintaining ecological balance and minimizing adverse impact on environment
- Asian CIO Leadership Award for Pioneering IT Industry Initiatives and Innovation in IT Industry
- Certified ISO/IEC 20000
- ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 3
- Golden Peacock Award for Environmental Management
- CNBC TV 18 Infrastructure Excellence Award 2012 in the Best Airports Category
- Excellence in Dedicated ICT Infrastructure, 6th National Telecom Awards 2012
- CII Southern Region for Excellence Award in Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) best practice
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDS) certification for Passenger Terminal Building
- CII Green Building Council GreenCo silver rating
- CII "Most Innovative‟ Environmental Best Practice Award
- "Best Airport' 1st runner up in India, Travel+Leisure Magazine
- Bangalore World Water Summit Award for outstanding work in Water management and sustainability at, February 2012
- Certified BS 25999-2:2007 by British Standard Institution
- CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management, November 2011
- Recognised as the best the airport in India by HT-MARS Survey, 2010 & 2011
- Best Airport in India, SKYTRAX, 2011
- Best Emerging Airport – Indian Sub-continent, Emerging Markets Airports Awards (EMAA), 2010 & 2011
- Awarded Platinum certification by IATA100% Bar Coded Boarding Passes (BCBP) compliance. BIAL is the first airport in India to be 100% BCBP
- Best Managed Airport, CNBC AWAAZ Travel Awards, 2010
- Excellence in IT adoption in the Travel & Logistics, NASSCOM & CNBC-TV18 IT User Awards, 2010
- Best Maintained Garden, Lalbagh Flower show, 2011
- Certified ISO 9001: 2008
- Certified OHSAS 18001
References
- ^ March 2013 Traffic Statistics
- ^ "Airports Authority of India". Aai.aero. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Aerodrome Geographical and Administrative Data
- ^ a b BIA Phase 1
- ^ AAI traffic figures 2010–2011
- ^ "Airports Authority of India". Aai.aero. 20 April 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ Siemens
- ^ a b c d e "BIA media releases". Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- ^ a b BIA airport partners
- ^ "2013 summer schedule". Aero Logic. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ QR Cargo to BLR
- ^ About BIA
- ^ "Share holders of BIAL". centerforaviation.com. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
- ^ "GVK becomes biggest stake holder". Times of India. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- ^ "Govt to push Centre for 'Kempe Gowda' airport". Bangalore: Deccan Herald. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- ^ "Centre accepts proposal to name Bengaluru International Airport after Kempegowda". Bangalore: The Economic Times. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
- ^ Bangalore airport named after city founder Kempe Gowda
- ^ "Bangalore Airport to be renamed Kempegowda International Airport on Dec 14 - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ T1 expansion images
- ^ "BIAL to fast track new terminal building". Business Standard. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- ^ "BIA hits expansion button". Times of India. 30 July 2010.
- ^ Bangalore runway surface failure
- ^ "No flights at BIA for 7 hrs from today". Bangalore: The Times of India. 11 March 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ Taxis to the airport
- ^ Car rentals to the airport
- ^ Shuttle buses from trumpet interchange to the airport
- ^ "BMTC bus services for Bangalore Airport". BMTCinfo.com.
- ^ Bus services to the airport
- ^ "High-speed rail to BIA gets Govt nod". Times of India. 22 June 2009.
- ^ Rail link to BIA
- ^ "High speed rail-link for BIA". The Hindu. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ "Bangalore International airport bags Asian award". Kuwait Samachar. 1 April 2009.
- ^ "Inaugural Emerging Markets Airports Award". Zawya.com. 28 April 2010.
- ^ "BIA Wins Best Emerging Airport Award". The Hindu. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- ^ "BIA bags "The Best Managed Airport Award". mybangalore.com. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
External links
