15 millionth passenger at Kempegowda International Airport

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB), recorded its 15 millionth passenger for financial year 2014-15 late Sunday evening, marking the airport’s graduation to the mid-sized airport category (15 to 25 million passenger airports). This is the first time KIAB is crossing the record.

Incidentally, KIAB has entered the higher classification within seven years of initiating operations. The record once again established KIAB as South India’s busiest airport and India’s third largest airport. A previous traffic record was set in the last financial year, when the traffic figure was 12.86 million passengers, according to the airport operators, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

“With this exponential growth, we have consolidated our position as India’s third largest airport and South India’s busiest airport with highest passenger traffic. KIAB will most likely end the fiscal year with 15.24 million passengers,” said BIAL Managing Director, G V Sanjay Reddy.

The 2014-15 passenger traffic report at KIAB shows an upswing by 19.3 per cent marked by 21.4 per cent growth in domestic and 11.2 per cent growth in international traffic. The air traffic movements rose by 13.2 per cent this fiscal year compared to the same period last year. A BIAL statement said fiscal year 2014-15 witnessed 15.9 per cent growth in cargo, led by 25.3 per cent growth in domestic and 10 per cent growth in international cargo.

Supporting Karnataka’s vision of becoming a pharma hub, the airport cargo partner Menzies Aviation Bobba inaugurated its Pharma Cold Zone in 2014. KIAB’s cargo partner Air India SATS will soon set up its ‘AI SATS CoolPort’ perishables handling centre at the airport, according to the statement.