International traffic down by 50% at KIA

Check-in counters at the airport lacked the usual rush. 

Triggered by the coronavirus scare, as international passenger traffic dropped by a massive 50% at the Kempegowda International Airport, high-value travel operators have reported a 80% fall in business in the city.

The drop in foreign flyers that hovered around 20% in February sharply rose to 50% in March. "Normally, the airport would see passengers in the region of 14,000-15,000 per day. It has now come down to approximately 6,000-7,000," a Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson informed.

However, domestic traffic has not shown a dramatic drop in numbers yet. "But there is already an impact of up to 2-4% on domestic travel. We expect to see a further decrease if more cases emerge in India."

Already in huge trouble, the travel and tourism industry is stung by the acute shortfall in foreign tourist arrivals, unprecedented in scale. High-value travel operators who depend heavily on the inflow of corporate tourists say their business is down by over 80%.

Being a global IT hub, Bengaluru attracts a huge number of international business travellers headed for corporate meetings across the city and beyond. Global financial service professionals also land up for meetings with CEOs and other MNC top honchos. The virus scare has drastically impacted this inflow.

“The companies engage our high-value vehicles equipped with WiFi, cold box, AC cabins and other gadgets to ferry these delegates and even hold meetings on the move. This has virtually dried up,” Karnataka State Travel Operators Association (KSTOA) president Radhakrishna Holla told DH.

An estimated 45,000 hi-value vehicles are attached to KSTOA. “After Delhi, we have the highest number of such vehicles here. Big corporate firms hire these vehicles with drivers from three to six weeks for guests from several American and European destinations,” Holla explained.

Several top MNCs based in the city had cancelled their sales target meetings scheduled for the first quarter, opting instead for virtual environments. This has severely impacted the travel industry and the entire ecosystem is affected, a travel technology professional told DH.

A travel operator described the current crisis as the worst in the past 27 years. “Even during the worst floods, our business did not suffer beyond two to three days. International arrivals did not get this bad even during the Gulf War. We have absolutely no clue how long this will last,” he said, echoing the general sentiment.