Arrivals, departures at multiple levels

 Targeted at a March 2021 commercial launch, the second terminal of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here will be equipped with three Airbus-380 (A380) gates. This will be in addition to the single A380 gate in the existing Terminal-1.

Designed by the American firm, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), Terminal-2 with its four A380 Code-F gates (based on aircraft wingspan) will hugely boost KIA's capacity to handle newer wide-bodied aircraft. Only the Delhi airport will be better. 

Documents accessed by DH indicate that the T-2 project will feature the main terminal building and a pier structure that extends around three sides of the main building. Expansion joints will span across the terminal.

The second terminal, excavation and ground works for which are at an advanced stage, is being built in two phases. The first phase will cater to 25 million passengers per annum (MPPA), expanding to 45 MPPA in Phase-II.

Two-level terminal
The terminal building structure will have two main levels, one housing Arrivals and the other, all Departures. Secondary utilities will be packed into the intermediate mezzanine floors.

Covering an area of about 400m X 400m, the main terminal structure will be 30m tall. The pierstructure is approximately 22m wide and 20m tall. Cantilevered steel louvers will surround the main terminal roof.

It is learnt that the base structure of the terminal below departures level will be composed of reinforced concrete floor framing systems spanning to reinforced concrete columns. The lateral system will consist of a reinforced concrete moment frame to resist wind and seismic loads.

Above the departures level, the structural system for the main terminal roof will consist of steel moment frames at regular grids. This design is to resist both lateral and gravity loads.

The pier's structural system, according to sources, will feature reinforced concrete at the Arrivals level. The roof of the Departures level will be built with one-way structural steel trusses, according to the master plan.

Necessary provisions will be made in the second terminal plan for an interface with a Multi-Level Car Park and an Airport Metro station. The interface will cater to both pedestrians and baggage connections.

T-1 expansion
The airport's 22.5% year-on-year passenger traffic growth in 2016 has forced an expansion of the existing terminal (T-1) as well. Sources said the terminal capacity will be upgraded to 26.5 million over the next 12 months. In 2016, KIA handled 22.18 million passengers.

As part of the upgrade, three new bus gates are expected to be added at the domestic side. The seating capacity is likely to be enhanced by 350.