Buzz at KIA is back with flights getting restored

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Passenger traffic at the Kempegowda International Air por t (KIA) continues to recover with the lifting of Covid-19 travel curbs. The airport witnessed over 45% growth in domestic travel and about 136% growth in international travel in FY 2022 as compared to FY 2021.

The airport welcomed 16.28 million passengers in FY 2022, versus 10.91 million passengers in FY 2021. Traffic recovery was 54% of FY 2020 levels – domestic recovery was at 55%, while international passenger traffic recovery was at 24%.

“Our focus on driving operational efficiencies coupled with a resilient ecosystem has enabled us to end FY 2022 on a record high both in terms of cargo and passenger volumes,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited.

“It reflects our commitment to serve the industry and our customers through sustained innovations and technological advancements.”

The number of domestic destinations served directly from KIA has grown to 76 compared to 54 last year, and many of the new services are to Tier II/III cities.

The Share of non-metro traffic to and from KIA increased from 45% pre-Covid (Apr’19-Feb’20) to 60% in FY 2022, signifying A growing penetration of non-metro connectivity.

As a result, the transfer traffic share at BLR Airport has increased to 18% in FY 2022, compared to 10% during the pre-Covid days. With this sustained growth, the airport has established itself as the most preferred transit destination in South India.

Top domestic routes in FY 2022 were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, with these sectors contributing 40% to the traffic.

KIA served 20 international destinations in FY 2022 with Dubai, Male, Doha, London, and Frankfurt being the top cities contributing 67% to the traffic.

Growth in the international segment is expected to increase as more airlines reinstate operations to and from KIA in the coming months.