After Bangalore witnessed an IT boom air travel increased a lot to and from Bangalore. The old Airport near HAL wasn’t able to handle the traffic as it was the same airport for domestic and international flights. It was time for Bangalore to get a new international airport.me
Start Date: July 2, 2005
End Date: Jan 2, 2008 [27 months]
Trial Run: Jan 15, 2008 [to be held in 3 stages: Basic, Advanced and Integrated]
First Commercial Flight: May 24, 2008
Change of Name: Kempe Gowda International Airport
| Airport Features | What Will Be Where |
| Area: 4500-acre plot in Devanahalli, 30 km Bangalore Project cost: Rs 2,478 crore State share: Rs 350 crore Exemptions: No sales tax Exemption Passenger Capacity: 12 million per year Additional Jobs Created: 1,000 jobs per million passengers Cargo capacity: 100,000 tonnes per year First phase by: June 20071st Aadhar enabled airport by 2018 | Domestic arrival : Ground floor International arrival : Swing gate walk on second floor Domestic and International departure : First floor Baggage handling and claim : Ground floor |
We have been waiting forever for an international airport and looks like by 2006 we will have one. The project got delayed several times, obviously, due to political problems.
The airport is expected to generate 2,5000 skilled and semi-skilled jobs.
In December the airport was renamed after the founding father of Bangalore – “Nadarprabhu Kempegowda International Airport (NKIA)”. The new terminal T1A which was inaugurated in December 2013 spans over 150,500 sq meters. The new terminal can accommodate an Airbus A380 aircraft.
| Check-in Counters | Self Check-in Counters | Emigration Counters (In & Out Bound each) | International Security Pedestals | Domestic Security Pedestals | Baggage Reclaim Belts (Domestic / International) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | 30 | 24 | 16 | 32 | 7 / 6 |
First Test Flight at Bangalore Airport
On March 7, 2008 the first test flight took off from Bangalore HAL airport to BIAL. The flight was commanded by Deccan Captain Pratap Deshpande and First Office Ms. Hetal S. The Deccan flight was a brand new Airbus A320, which carried media persons and senior airline executives had 173 people on board and travelled 15 nautical miles and cruised at a low altitude all through. The test flight was delayed by one and a half hours!
Onboard, flight safety demonstrations were done by flight attendant Priyanka and passengers were assisted by the cabin crew of Gurpreet, Neha and Hina. On arrival, the media were addressed by Albert Brunner.
The New T2 Terminal at Kempegowda
Often referred to as the Garden City of India, it is only fitting for Bangalore’s new T2 terminal at the Kempegowda airport to be given the moniker ‘Terminal in a Garden’. The terminal became fully functional on January 15th, 2023.
The terminal was designed on the 4 pillars of sustainability, technology, art and the beauty of gardens. It is spread across 2 L-shaped levels and houses numerous installations depicting the rich culture and history of the state. The new terminal has also been recognized as the largest terminal to be pre-certified with Platinum LEED ratings by the US Green Building Council.
The new T2 terminal has 90 counters and 19 boarding gates for domestic and international flights. This will soon be the default terminal for all international flights to Bangalore. It is connected to the old terminal by a 1.5km long walkway and frequent shuttles. This is the only airport in south India to have parallel runways where two aircrafts can land and take-off simultaneously. It is also one of the first airports in India to offer the Digiyatra experience.
The Gardens of T2
From the initial sketches, T2 was intended to be a hotspot for biodiversity. Visitors are greeted by tall bamboo structures with abundant greenery on the walls and ceiling. There are a total of 6 lakh plants in 10 ecological habitats. This includes 620 endemic plants as well as several species of palms, lilies, lotuses and other endangered plants.
Along with plants, the new terminal boasts of impressive waterfalls just beyond the security check area. The green cover and use of sustainable materials reduces the energy required to run the airport and keeps the air quality clean.
Art in the Terminal
The terminal also has an art program that pays homage to the state’s heritage. It is designed along the concept of nine emotions or Naurasa and features 60 pieces of art by 43 renowned artists. While some art pieces are intended to be displayed on rotation, others will be on display for longer. The latter includes copper sculptures by Krishnaraj Chonat, Bidri wall art by MA Rauf and wood puppets by Anupama Hosker.
Also See:
- Commute To Bangalore International Airport
- Bangalore airport summary
- About Bangalore Airport Flyover
- Metro Rail Link to Bangalore Airport
- Comparing Bangalore and Hyderabad International Airports
- Expansion of Terminal 1 in Bangalore Airport
- Projected Passenger Traffic in million
- Who is Kempe Gowda?
- Commute to Kempegowda International Airport – Trains that Take You to the Airport