Airport opens crew-only terminal

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has opened a crew-only terminal, dedicated to airline staff.

The airport claims to be the first in the country to have introduced the facility, seeking to decongest the main terminal and provide easy access to crews to enter and exit the airport without many security hassles.

Located in close proximity to the airline offices, the new terminal, which is approximately 5,000 sq feet in size, will at present cater only to domestic departing crews.

The international crews will continue to use the main terminal to complete mandatory immigration and regulatory formalities.

On an average, 350 to 400 domestic crews depart through the airport each day and the numbers, according to the BIAL, are expected to reach 500 to 600 in the coming days.

The KIA is currently the third busiest airport in the country, and busiest in south India, with over 90,000 passengers and over 600 aircraft movements each day.

With the new terminal, airline crews will be excused from long lines at security checkpoints at the main terminal. The facility is designed to provide hassle-free entry to the tarmac.

The facility, which will be operational around the clock, will help the crews complete security checks in less time before proceeding to the aircraft.

According to BIAL officials, the initiative is aimed at reducing the waiting period for passengers during security checks at the main terminal.

“The BIAL has been a pioneer in airport innovation and the introduction of the crew terminal is a testimony to that spirit of innovation. We are always looking for ways to improve the stakeholder experience at our airport,” BIAL Chief Operating Officer Javed Malik said.