Indian airports

Bengaluru and Mumbai airports plan runway closures. Pax, airlines, fares hit.

Runway 09 at Kempegowda airport, Bangalore. Image copyright Devesh Agarwal. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

As Air traffic grows at an exponential pace, Indian airports are struggling to keep up. Building capacity ahead of demand has never quite been the norm and this is now catching up. Airports like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Goa are severely constrained and in the near term the capacity woes will continue. While terminal capacity and landside capacity can be managed, …

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Uber and Ola cabs get dedicated pick-up zones at Bangalore Kempegowda airport

Taxi aggregators Uber and Ola Cabs have signed agreements with airport operator Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) to offer their customers dedicated pick-up zones at Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport. Both the dedicated ‘Ola Zone’ and ‘U Zone’ appear to be located near P2 parking just behind the BMTC Vayu Vajra Bus Stand.     Customers can make their booking soon …

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Exclusive Photos: Antonov An-225 at Hyderabad

Antonov An-225 UR-82060 at Hyderabad Airport.

On the 13th of May, the world’s largest in-service aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya touched down at Hyderabad airport for a technical stopover on it’s way to Perth, Australia. The An-225 was designed by the then Soviet Union’s Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980’s. The aircraft is the longest and heaviest to have ever been built, along with the largest …

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Expect disruptions as Delhi airport repairs runway

Runway 28 at Indira Gandhi International Airport at night. Image copyright Vedant Agarwal.

Passengers flying through the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport should expect flight disruptions as the airport’s center and most heavily used runway 10/28 will undergo preventive repair work for seven days starting on 5 April. During the repair period changes in flight schedule and delays are expected to occur. The airport’s other two runways 09/27 and 11/29 will remain …

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GVK to sell 33% stake in BIAL to Fairfax

The main passenger terminal building at Bangalore Airport.

As part of its debt reduction exercise, GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd, which leads a consortium owning Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), through wholly owned subsidiary GVK Airport Developers, has announced it will sell a 33% stake in the airport operating company to Prem Watsa promoted Fairfax India Holdings Corporation and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited for Rs. 2,149 crore (approx …

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BIAL moves forward on second runway. Target completion in two years.

Runway 09 at Kempegowda airport, Bangalore. Image copyright Devesh Agarwal. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

According to informed sources, Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) the operator of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAB), has commenced activities on constructing the second parallel runway on the south side of the airport. The airport is targeting completion of the new runway in two years. The new runway will be parallel to the existing runway, 4,000 metres long, again like …

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Chennai airport flooding: Expert warned authorities 7 years earlier

Chennai airport flooded. IAF helicopter view from west.

Air safety expert and member of the government appointed safety committee, Captain Ranganathan had warned the authorities about the flooding of Chennai airport over seven years ago. In an article titled “Viable project or white elephant?” published in the Hindu Business Line print edition dated August 13, 2008, the airline captain with over 35 years of flying experience lambasted the …

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Chennai airport shut due to rain flooding. IndiGo suspends flights to the city.

IndiGo_A320 classic VT-INT. Photo: Devesh Agarwal.

It appears that Chennai airport has suspended operations due to flooding thanks to almost one month of incessant and unseasonal rains. India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo, released a statement This is to notify IndiGo passengers and the local partners in Chennai – that due to severe weather conditions, Chennai airport is shut for operations. Keeping in mind the safety of …

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Air India shifting to Mumbai airport T2. First to integrate operations

Air India's website banner announcing shift to T2 at Mumbai

National carrier Air India will be the first airline to integrate its operations, domestic and international, at terminal 2 better known as T2, at Mumbai CSI airport. The airline will be shifting its domestic operations from terminal 1A located just off the western express highway to the swanky new T2 located on the northern periphery of the airport. T2 has …

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GoAir shifts departure terminal at Mumbai, but arrivals remain same

GoAir Airbus A320 VT-GOJ takes off from New Delhi. Photo by Devesh Agarwal.

GoAir has relocated its departures at Mumbai CSI airport from terminal 1A to terminal 1B from Friday, September 25, 2015. Terminal 1B is the same terminal where other private operators IndiGo, Jet Airways, and SpiceJet operate from. Entrance to the GoAir check-in counters is from gate 2. However all GoAir arrivals will continue at terminal 1A till further notice from …

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Nepal Airlines, Thai AirAsia and Kuwait Airways begin Bangalore service

Kuwait Airways Airbus A300B4-605R 9K-AMA at Frankfurt Main airport. Kuwait Airways Airbus A300B4-605R 9K-AMA at Frankfurt Main airport. Photo by Devesh Agarwal.

Three new foreign carriers are beining services to Bangalore today. The first Nepal Airlines RA-225 was operated by an Airbus A320 (9N-AKX), the service will operate thrice a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flight Number Origin Destination STD STA RA-225 Kathmandu Bangalore 12:40 15:35 RA-226 Bangalore Kathmandu 16:25 19:40 The second airline to commence service today is Thai Air …

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Exclusive photos: Tractor hits and damages Air India A320 aircraft

Air India Airbus A320 VT-EPJ hit and damaged by tractor

Earlier this month a push back tractor appears to have hit an Airbus A320 of the national airline Air India. The incident involving VT-EPJ occurred at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airport in the middle of a rain storm, earlier this month. There are some reports that the aircraft rolled forward before the towbar which is connected to the nose wheel was …

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New voice info system at Bangalore airport in addition to WhatsApp service

The main passenger terminal building at Bangalore Airport.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the consortium operating the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAB) at Bangalore, has installed a custom-developed interactive voice response system (IVRS) to provide airport and flight-related information. The IVRS can be accessed via a toll free number 1-800-425-4425 and is multi-lingual, offering support for English, Hindi and Kannada. The airport already offers information via a WhatsApp service …

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Kempegowda airport once again India’s third busiest

The main passenger terminal building at Bangalore Airport.

Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is once again the third busiest airport in India after New Delhi IGI and Mumbai CSI airports. KIA has gone past Chennai to claim the top spot for southern India. KIAB statistics The airport will cross 15.24 million passengers for the fiscal year 2014-15 which ended on March 31, 2015. A 75% increase from the …

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Bangalore Kempegowda airport wins ‘best airport’ award

Bhaskar Bodapat and Hari Marar of BIAL with award at the SKYTRAX World Airports Awards 2015, Paris. BIAL image.

The GVK promoted Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB) has won the ‘Best Regional Airport in Central Asia’ award by SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2015, which were held in Paris on 11th March. The SKYTRAX World Airport Awards is the largest passenger satisfaction survey measured across 39 key performance indicators in airport service excellence and quality. The World Airport Awards are …

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Jet Airways begins use of Mobile Boarding passes at Bangalore

Jet Airways Airbus A330-300 VT-JWQ. Image copyright Vedant Agarwal.

In a much welcomed effort, Jet Airways is collaborating with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security of India (BCAS) and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) for a pilot project to test the use of Mobile Boarding Passes on its flights. During this trial phase, guests can use the boarding passes on their mobile phones to enter Bengalore’s Kempegowda International Airport …

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New Delhi airport world’s best, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad in top 5

New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Terminal 3 overview. Photo courtesy DIAL.

New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi international airport (IGIA) has been ranked as world’s best airport for the year 2014, in the airport service quality (ASQ) awards of Airports Council International, in the 25 to 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) size category. The ASQ awards survey covers 34 key service areas including major categories such as access, check-in, security, airport facilities, …

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Bangalore airport closures due to Aero India show begin today

Runway 09 at Kempegowda airport, Bangalore. Image copyright Devesh Agarwal. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

The Kempegowda International Airport at Bengaluru will be partially closing airport operations starting today due to upcoming Aero India 2015 air show to be held at the adjacent Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka. Bangalore airport closure timings Dates KIA airport closure timing in IST (UTC +5.5) Purpose February 10th to 16th, 2015 12:30 – 15:00 (12:30pm – 3:00pm) Practice Day …

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Bangalore Kempegowda airport first in India to be IATA e-freight compliant

Lufthansa Cargo MD-11F freighter D-ALCC being loaded at Kempegowda airport, Bangalore. Photo copyright Devesh Agarwal.

Bangalore’s Kempegowda international airport has been rated an International Air Transport Association (IATA) e-freight compliant airport for cargo operations. The airport is the first in India to achieve the compliance with the operationalisation and implementation of the e-freight process. The e-freight initiative was facilitated by IATA, a global trade association comprising over 240 airlines around the world. As part of …

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BIAL to build second terminal and runway at KIA after it gets EC approval

The main passenger terminal building at Bangalore Airport.

The airport operators of the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have been formally accorded the environment clearance (EC) for its second stage expansion, which will include construction of a new terminal and a new second runway to the south side of the airport. The approval was granted by the Ministry of environment, forests & climate change …

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