Ola inks pact with KIAL for city connect

In a first of its kind initiative in the country, app-based ride-hailing service company Ola partnered with the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) to transport people.

According to a source privy to the development, KIAL has set up a separate bay for Ola vehicles as Ola Zone, where a Ola Help desk will assist passengers at the airport.

“Those who booked ticket in advance through the Ola app can come straight to the Ola Help Desk, where the Ola Que assistants will help them find their respective vehicles,” said a company source.

The advantage of the facility is that there is no need for those who arrive at the airport to call their cab drivers, nor wait in the queue for long to get in to the taxi. Currently, KIAL has taxi operations from Meru Cabs, Mega Cabs and Airport Taxi operated by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC).

“The service will give commuters the advantage of access to around 50,000 Ola vehicles. The other three operators have only 5,000 vehicles,” said the company source.

Besides, reducing the waiting period for travellers and helping save the fuel consumption, the service will increase the supply of vehicles to KIAL.

Ola claims that the facility symbolises the fact that on demand platforms like Ola is going forward in giving seamless commutation to customers.

“We have been piloting the project for the past one week and got tremendous response. Globally, these services are prohibited in a few airports, like New York and Newark,” said the source. The company plans to expand this facility to other airports in the country soon.