International arrivals peak at BIA in July this year

International arrivals peak at BIA in July this year

The swine flu scare has not deterred vacationers from visiting Bangalore

MK Madhusoodan. Bangalore

Swine flu and recession don't seem to have an effect on the number of international passengers arriving and departing at the Bengaluru International Airport.
As per the records of the immigration officials at BIA, the volume of international passengers has increased by 20,000 in July, compared to the same period in 2008.
"We have registered nearly 1.48 lakh in July 2008, and July 2009 records passenger traffic at 1.68 lakh. This shows that there was no reduction in the passenger movement to the city and out," an officer told DNA.
The estimates stated that earlier there were a lot of passengers who had come to India due to recession and job losses in foreign countries.
"But this number is less compared to the numbers of other normal passengers and those who come to India for a vacation. This is a record passenger traffic ever witnessed by the BIA," an official said.
The BIA recorded 1.40 lakh passengers in January this year and the figures came down to 1.25 lakh in February. In March, the number of passengers was 1.23 lakh but it rose to 1.33 lakh in April. In May again, the record was set at 1.51 lakh, while it went down to 1.47 lakh in June, according to the numbers available with the immigration office at the BIA.
These figures include both Indians and foreigners who departed and arrived at BIA