Global Airport News

Global Airport News

Bangalore International Airport (BPO) is starting an expansion program aimed at making it "the gateway to the south of India," according to managing director Sanjay Reddy. Construction slated to get underway this month in its main passenger terminal will double the facility's size to 70,000 sq. m. within 18 months, he said stated, noting that the terminal's capacity will reach 17 million passengers annually "with the flexibility to expand to more than 20 million."

But that won't end the expansion, Reddy said: "A comprehensive review of the master plan is already underway and later this year the airport will embark on the plan for building a second passenger terminal and second runway. By the time Terminal II is completed, [BPO] will have the capacity to handle around 45 million passengers."

He added, "Apart from the trunk routes connecting the metro cities, there is a tremendous growth potential for regional connectivity… A strong hub airport can only be realized if there is a strong feeder airport group in the region. Bangalore, due to its geographical positioning, lies exactly in the middle of south India, hence the average distance between all the regional airports is lower in comparison to major south Indian airports."