Fancy a Hyperloop ride from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) to the city centre in less than 10 minutes? Proposing this galactic leap in speed, Virgin Hyperloop on Sunday inked a deal to conduct a Feasibility Study for this corridor and later build a test track in the airport.
In arguably the first for any airport in the world, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Virgin Hyperloop signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct the study.
With speeds of up to 1,080 kmph, Hyperloop could transport thousands of passengers per hour from KIA to the city centre in under 10 minutes. The pre-feasibility study, which focuses on technical, economic and route feasibility, is expected to be completed in two phases of six months each.
The MoU was exchanged virtually between Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and DP World, and T M Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka and Chairman, Board of Directors, BIAL.
Billed as a technology that could deeply disrupt travel in the future, Hyperloop for KIA was dubbed by Sultan Ahmed as a solution to tackle congestion and support Bengaluru’s economic growth. Travellers could streamline their multimodal trip with seamless check in and security for both their hyperloop and air travel at centrally-located hyperloop portals.
“Beyond just the transit of passengers, airports are crucial conduit for goods, especially time-sensitive deliveries. A hyperloop-connected airport would dramatically improve the delivery of cargo and create an ultra-efficient supply chain,” he said.
BIAL and Virgin Hyperloop had first mooted the idea two years back. Virgin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jay Walder said the technology would create a 21st century passenger experience and expand the airport’s capacity.
“We are excited to take this landmark step which can catalyse the economic growth of Karnataka and the region. This study is an important step forward,” said BIAL MD and CEO, Hari Marar.
Virgin Hyperloop had successfully tested hyperloop technology at scale. It operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes.