Recovery route: KIA passenger traffic touches pre-Covid levels

Passenger traffic at KIA has registered 102% and 85% recovery in the domestic and international segments, respectively, in October 2022, as compared to October 2019

Credit: DH Illustration

With a surge in passenger numbers during FY 2022-23, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has returned to the pre-pandemic levels, figures reported till October 26 have shown.

An official statement said the airport hosted 16.3 million passengers during the current financial year until the last week of October; the figure for the same period the previous year was 6.61 million.

Passenger traffic at KIA has registered 102 per cent and 85 per cent recovery in the domestic and international segments, respectively, in October 2022, as compared to October 2019. The airport reported 1,18,852 Air Traffic Movements (ATM) in FY23, with the domestic and international sectors reporting 1,05,354 and 13,498 ATMs, respectively.

The holiday season accelerated traffic revival across the domestic and international sectors, with October 21 — the day kicked off the festive season with the Deepavali weekend — seeing 94,330 passengers travelling through KIA.

During the Deepavali week, KIA reported over 5.2 lakh domestic and around 70,000 international passenger movements, over six days.

South's top transfer gateway

Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which runs KIA, traced the surge in passenger volumes to a rising demand over the last six months that offset a major pandemic-induced downturn.

“The airport is reporting good numbers due to its connectivity and being a preferred transfer hub. With the opening of Terminal 2, we will further consolidate our position as the gateway to South India,” he said. The second terminal at KIA is set for a November 11 launch.

BIAL said the numbers established KIA as “the top transfer gateway” in South India. The top domestic routes — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, and Pune — contributed 44 per cent of all traffic. The top international routes were Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Frankfurt, and Male, contributing 54 per cent of the traffic.

Launching of operations by international carriers like Qantas and Cathay Pacific has contributed to the surge. The higher demand is one of the primary reasons for Emirates to deploy A380 to the airport.