BIA boards big-expansion flight

BIA boards big-expansion flight
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: After 20 months in operation, the dreams of Bengaluru International Airport attaining the stature of a mega world-class airport have taken wing. Over the next four to eight years, BIA would be expanded to handle passenger traffic of 51 million per annum, from its current capacity of a little over 10 million. The entire expansion process will happen in three phases, with the third phase constituting the building of a second terminal building, T2.
T2 will initially be built to handle annual passenger traffic of around 15 million, which would be scaled up to 36 million. These decisions were taken at the meeting of the board of directors of BIAL on Tuesday.
G V Sanjay Reddy, vice-chairman of GVK Industries which holds a 29% stake in BIAL, told TOI: “To begin with, the existing terminal would undergo certain modifications to increase capacity. Then, in another two months, work on expanding the existing terminal to handle 15 million passengers would commence.” BIA expansion work to be over in 18 months
Bangalore: The expansion of the current Bangalore International Airport terminal is likely to be completed in the next 12 to 18 months.
“Since the second terminal would take another four to five years to complete, we need to expand the existing terminal immediately,” said G V Sanjay Reddy, vice-chairman of GVK Industries which holds a 29% stake in BIAL. He added that global architectural firm HOK has been appointed to design the expansion of the current terminal.
The immediate changes inside the existing terminal building include an additional security checkpoint at both the domestic and international terminals, rationalisation of the commercial space inside the airport to provide more seating area, setting up of an exclusive lounge facility for government and other VVIP dignitaries, and setting up of lounges for various airlines.
However, Reddy was not willing to comment on the total investment that would go into the expansion of the airport.
Some indications are there that BIAL might look to increase the user development fee and other airport charges that airlines pay, in order to fund its expansion plans. “It’s too early to comment on such matters, but for sure the investments would be made through a mix of equity and debt,” said Reddy.
BIA Flight Chart Phase 1 (immediate)
Additional security check-point at both domestic and international terminals Rationalisation of commercial space inside airport to provide more seating area Setting up of an exclusive lounge facility for government and other VVIP dignitaries Setting up of lounges for various airlines
Phase 2 (in the next 12 -18 months)
Expansion of current terminal building to handle passenger traffic of 15 million per annum, from about 10 million.
Phase 3 (in the next 4-8 years)
To build new terminal T2 that will cater to passenger traffic of 15 million per annum to begin with, which will be further expanded to handle 36 million passengers per annum


ON EXCELLENCE RUNWAY: Expansion plans include setting up a second terminal and upgrading the airport to handle up to 51 million passenger traffic every year