Kempegowda International Airport

Kempegowda International Airport is the primary serving international airport of Bangalore. It spans over 4,000 acres and is located in Devanahalli, North Bangalore. It was opened in the year May 24, 2008, and has 2 terminals. The airport is about 35 Km away from Devanahalli and serves the entire city. It was named after King Kempegowda I and is a public-private consortium. The airport handles about 37.5 million passengers each year. It is famous for being the first solar-powered airport and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Its direction is in the Northern part of the city with pincode 534320. Its address is Bengaluru, Karnataka 560300; IATA code: BLR. To find it on Google Maps, people can use coordinates 13°11′56″N and 077°42′20″E.

History of KIAB

Origins - The airport was built to replace HAL Airport, which was the city's main commercial airport for over 60 years. HAL Airport was set up in 1941 by the Hindustan Aircraft Company and was used by the Allies during World War II.
Planning - In 2001, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided to build a new airport as the HAL Airport was overcrowded. The new airport was planned as a public-private partnership (PPP). This was between the government and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).
Construction - Construction started in July 2005, and the airport opened in May 2008. It was designed to handle more traffic and was expanded in 2014. The main architects of the airport are Larsen and Toubro from India.

Today the KIAB has become world's one of the busiest airports. It welcomes both domestic and international routes and is a major hub for airlines like Indigo, Air India, and Vistara. This airport continues to evolve and play a key role in connecting Bangalore to the world.

Ownership

KIAB is run by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). It operates as a public-private partnership, balancing the management. The ownership is divided as follows:

Fairfax India Holdings Corporation: Holds the majority stake of 54%. It is a company based in Canada.
Siemens Project Ventures: Owns 20% of the shares.
Government of Karnataka: Holds 13% of the stake.
Airports Authority of India (AAI): Owns the remaining 13%.

Terminals

The KIAB houses 2 terminals, T1 and T2, where T1 is for domestic and T2 is for international flights. There are 2 runways in the airport that are primary carriers spread over 4000 m.

About Terminal 1

Terminal 1 is a large, single terminal for domestic flights, covering 150,556 m². It can handle passengers up to 20 million every year. The terminal has two lounges to provide a comfortable space for travelers, displaying local art and culture. There is also a separate VIP lounge, covering 930 m², for exclusive use.

Since Sept 12, 2023, Terminal 1 handles only domestic flights. The airlines operating from Terminal 1 are IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, and SpiceJet. All international flights have been shifted to Terminal 2.

About Terminal 2

T 2 at KIAB was inaugurated by PM Modi on Nov 11, 2022, and started operations in Jan 2023. It cost around Rs 5,000 crore to build and covers 255,000 sq.m. T2's capacity has increased by 25 million passengers each year. There are also plans for a 2nd phase, which will add another 20 million passengers annually. T2 began handling domestic flights on Jan 15, 2023, and started managing all international flights on Sept 12, 2023.

FactsM

The Bangalore Airport is the 3rd busiest airport in India and is the 25th in Asia. It ranks in the 56th position as the busiest airport as per the data of 2023-24.

FAQ

1. Does Bangalore have 2 airports?

Yes, Bangalore has 2 airports, and its main serving airport is KIAB and, for military purposes, the HAL airport.

2. Are terminals 1 and 2 connected in Bangalore airport?

Yes, T1 and T2 are located within the same airport campus, about 600 meters apart. The free shuttle bus takes around 10 minutes to travel between the two terminals.

3. Who build Kempegowda airport?

Larsen and Toubro of India handled the civil engineering and construction work, which began in July 2005.

4. How many gates are in Bangalore Airport?

The airport has 22 gates with 95 check-in counters, along with 15 bus gates and 17 security check lanes.