KIA reinstates over 90% international routes

Daily international departures from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here has risen to 25, up from 10 flights before normalisation.

The airport has reinstated more than 90% of the routes that were in operation before the pandemic disruption.

With the gradual increase in international operations, KIA’s route network is expected to further augment with the resumption of routes and additional flights to cater to the demand, according to the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

Currently, KIA is connected to 21 international destinations in 17 countries operating through 24 airlines. The airport will add newer routes later this year to Seattle (American Airlines) and strengthen its existing route to San Francisco (Air India). United Airlines is set to launch weekly flights in October, connecting tech hubs Bengaluru and San Francisco.

To address the expected increase in passenger traffic and make the airport experience more seamless, BIAL has deployed automation-enabled technology at various checkpoints such as terminal entry, check-in, security check, immigration, and customs.

The existing technology such as self-baggage drops, smart security lane with automated tray retrieval system, along with other contactless technology are expected to further improve the overall airport experience.

Air travel recovery is expected to be faster following the resumption of international operations. While passenger traffic recovery in the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 was only 19% (vs pre-Covid CY 2019) due to travel restrictions and cross-border entry, it is expected to grow steadily in the coming months, driven by the strong high-yielding leisure and business travel demand from Bengaluru.

Pre-Covid, KIA was connected to 25 international destinations, with an average of 40 international departures each day. Despite the subdued pandemic environment in 2020 and 2021, KIA had Air India launch a bi-weekly, non-stop Bengaluru-San Francisco flight. KIA became the first airport in South and Central India to have non-stop connectivity to North America.

United Airlines and American Airlines announced flight operations to KIA despite the pandemic. The flights are expected to start later this year. The frequency of Japan Airlines flights to Tokyo Narita is likely to be progressively increased.

The domestic passenger traffic has recovered more than 80% compared to pre-Covid levels, accelerating during the first three weeks of March this year. The domestic Air Traffic Movement (ATM) recovery has been close to 90% of pre-Covid levels and is expected to grow further in the coming weeks, BIAL said.