KIA records 12.7 pc growth in air traffic movements

The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) served 12.86 million passengers in 2013-14, with 1,18,575 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs).

This amounted to a 12.7 growth in ATMs, the highest recorded year-on-year increase since the greenfield airport’s launch in May 2008.

Here are the other highlights of the airport’s financial year-end report released on Thursday by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL): The ATMs averaged 325 per day;  overall, the airport handled 7.3% more passengers as compared to 2012-13, with 10.23 million domestic and 2.63 million international travellers in 2013-14.

The airlines witnessed average daily passenger numbers of 35,259 travellers, with seat load factors of 69% for Domestic and 75% for International flights respectively. During the year, new domestic routes were introduced between KIA and Imphal, Agatti, Surat, Mysore, Pondicherry, Guwahati, Belgaum, Tuticorin, Indore and Dehradun.

SpiceJet started its international operations from KIA Bengaluru to Bangkok in October last year. Air Costa started domestic operations to Vijayawada and Jaipur. BIAL partnered with Karnataka State Road Transportation Corporation (KSRTC) to start the ‘Flybus’ service from Bangalore to Mysore to develop the intermodal connectivity of the airport.

Cargo movements

Cargo volumes handled at the airport in 2013-14 grew by 7.0% compared to 2012-13 to reach a total volume of 242,426 metric tonnes (MT).

The airport inaugurated dedicated cargo bays to serve freighter aircrafts and further improve the air cargo supply chain. The new cargo bays include six dedicated wide body freighter stands with seamless access to the cargo terminal.

All the cargo stands are equipped with fuel hydrants and integrated leak detection system.

The airport currently caters to pharmaceuticals, perishables (fruits and vegetables), electronics, engineering, machineries, automobile, valuables, textiles, and readymade garments originating from South India and headed for SAARC countries, China, Europe, United States, Canada, Oceania and the Middle East.

New weather station

The airport recently introduced a new surface observatory weather station. According to BIAL, the station will help in analyzing the climatic conditions by recording weather parameters in the area.

The information will be available to the passengers as weather forecasts. The elevated Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) now has technologically advanced processes to enable faster and quicker decision in real time and comes equipped with a video wall to enable operators to have a common real-time information projection at a common visible area.