Bengaluru airport served 18 mn passengers in 2015

Bengaluru, Jan 19: Growing at 25 percent, the Kempe Gowda international airport here served 18 million passengers in 2015, with air traffic increasing 12.7 percent, the airport operator said on Tuesday.

"Domestic passenger traffic grew 27.4 percent and international passenger traffic 15.8 percent in the calendar year 2015 over the previous year when 15 million passengers flew in or out," the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) said in a statement here.

BIAL is a consortium of private and public partnership, with GVK Ltd, central and state governments as equity partners in the country's third largest and south India's busiest airport.

A resurgent domestic aviation market saw new airlines and new routes resulting in 404 air traffic movements per day, including landings and take-offs from the airport at Devanahalli, about 40 km from the city centre.

"Domestic air traffic movements increased 13.6 percent, clocking 1,25,481 movements, while international movement rose to 21,986," the statement said.

The greenfield airport was opened for commercial operations in May 2008, leading to shifting domestic and overseas flights from the congested state-run HAL airport in the city's eastern suburb.

"The consistent growth since its opening seven years ago, despite a volatile macroeconomic scenario demonstrates that KIAB as an airport of choice. Data points to an expanding market, with growth in leisure travel and wider demographic profile," BIAL managing director G.V. Sanjay Reddy noted.

Passenger traffic remained resilient despite global uncertainties and BIAL was able to maintain the expected growth range forecast for the year.

On December 4, the airport clocked 63,769 passengers, making it the highest single day since it was commissioned.

Similarly, 457 air traffic movements were recorded on December 24, the highest single day traffic since 2008.

"On average over 50,500 passengers transit through the airport daily, with maximum traffic to New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune," the statement added.

Besides connecting 44 airlines to destinations across the country and worldwide, the airport has seen an increase in connectivity to the Gulf region.

IANS