The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) continues continues to recover with over 45% growth in domestic travel and about 136% growth in international travel in FY 2022 as compared to FY 2021.
BLR 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. It reflects our commitment to serving the industry and our customers through sustained innovations and technological advancements,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited.
With restrictions easing up, corporate traffic is gradually reviving both in domestic and international sectors. This is influenced by higher vaccination penetration, lower infection rates, relaxation of travel restrictions, cross border regulations, and increased economic activities.
The number of domestic destinations served directly from BLR Airport has grown to 76 compared to 54 last year, and this has been possible due to enhanced connectivity to Tier II/III cities. Share of non-metro traffic to / from BLR Airport increased from 45% pre-Covid (Apr’19-Feb’20) to 60% in FY 2022, signifying 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% pre-covid. 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.
BLR Airport 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 BLR Airport during the coming months.
