Kempegowda International Airport records highest-ever cargo tonnage, passenger traffic grows 49.2%

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) rounded up Financial Year 2022 with the highest-ever cargo tonnage of 4,11,513 metric tonnes, a 26 per cent growth over the previous year. The passenger traffic growth of 49.2 per cent accounted for a 50 per cent recovery compared to FY 2020.

The top international markets for cargo were the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Domestic connectivity rose from 54 destinations in FY 2021 to 76 in FY 2022.

International cargo recorded a 31 per cent growth, 2,71,988 MT processed, as compared to 207,518 MT in FY 2021. Domestic cargo grew at 17 per cent, with 139,525 MT versus 119,125 MT in FY 2021. “Perishable cargo has been one of the major growth drivers for KIA. It is the No 1 airport in the country for handling perishables — estimated to account for 31 per cent of India’s total perishable shipments,” a Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) spokesperson said.

KIA processed 39,518 MT of cargo in October 2021. International cargo processed (both imports and exports) was also the highest ever in October 2021, accounting for 25,695 MT, according to BIAL. The airport has gained 13 per cent of India’s air cargo market share and 45 per cent of South India’s air cargo market share.

Rise in passenger traffic

Domestic passenger traffic grew 45 per cent and international grew 136 per cent in FY 2022 as compared to FY 2021. KIA welcomed 16.28 million passengers in FY 2022 versus 10.91 million passengers in FY 2021. Traffic recovery was 54 per cent of FY 2020 levels.

The number of domestic destinations served directly from KIA has grown to 76 compared to 54 last year, and this has been possible due to enhanced connectivity to Tier II/III cities. Share of non-metro traffic to/from the airport increased from 45 per cent pre-Covid (Apr’19-Feb’20) to 60 per cent in FY 2022, signifying growing penetration of non-metro connectivity.

Top domestic routes in FY 2022 were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, with these sectors contributing 40 per cent to the traffic. KIA served 20 international destinations in FY 2022 with Dubai, Male, Doha, London, and Frankfurt being the top cities contributing 67 per cent to the traffic.

Air Traffic Movements (ATM) witnessed a recovery of 64 per cent in FY 2022 compared to FY 2020. The domestic ATM recovery was at 66 per cent while international recovery was at 51 per cent.

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