Sixty-two per cent of passengers transiting through the Kempegowda International Airport during 2018-19 were from the service industry. Business travellers made up only 15%, while students accounted for a mere eight per cent.
Analysing the last fiscal's passenger traffic data, a recent study by the airport operators also noted that a majority, 52% to be precise, were travelling alone. Twenty-nine per cent of the passengers were with family, while 11% were with friends.
Interestingly, an overwhelming 70% were departing passengers. On the gender scale, there was no competition for men, who accounted for 76% of all travellers.
Since the greenfield airport's launch in May 2008, KIA has emerged as India's third busiest aerodromme. But why do such massive numbers take the flight route? The study found that 76% took flights for official reasons, 46% for personal and only 13% for leisure.
The age profile of the travellers showed a distinct trend: The vast majority, over 80% of the passengers, were in the age group of 21-40. Only three per cent were in the 16-20 category, while those above 60 constituted only one per cent.
A record 33.30 million passengers had passed through KIA in the financial year 2018-19, registering a 23.8% year-on-year growth. The airport logged 2,40,251 lands and take-offs during this period.
To cater to this exponential growth, KIA's operator — the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) — has undertaken a Rs. 13,000-crore capacity expansion. This includes the first-phase construction of a 2,55,000 sqm Terminal 2, an advanced Cat-IIIB Code-F Capable Runway and landside expansion.
Currently undergoing trials, the new runway is scheduled to be operationalised on December 5. BIAL has estimated that the new and existing runways combined will then be equipped to progressively handle up to 90 flights per hour or a take-off and landing every 40 seconds.
Being Code F and Cat IIIB compliant, the new runway, 4,000 m long and 45 m wide, is expected to help the airport tide over operational flight delays due to fog and other weather conditions.
