All international flight operations at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will be shifted to Terminal-2 (T-2) from September 1.
Currently, all international flight operations are confined to the 15-year-old Terminal-1 (T-1).
The 2,55,661-sq. m T-2, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 11, 2022, became operational on January 15. At present, T-2 is operating only domestic services. Three domestic carriers, Star Air, AirAsia India, and Vistara are operating from the new terminal.
A BIAL spokesperson said that starting from September 1, T-2 would be exclusively used for international flight operations. With the shifting of all international flight operations to T-2, the old terminal or T-1 will cater to only domestic operations.
“To minimise the impact on passengers, the refurbishment will begin after relocating all international traffic to T-2. By transferring international operations to T-2, the airport creates a window of opportunity with reduced demand on T-1 (existing international area),” a spokesperson said.
A total of 31.91 million passengers travelled through the KIA during 2022-23. Of this, 28.12 million were domestic passengers and 3.78 million international passengers. The airport is connected to 25 international destinations.
Prior to commencing international operations at the KIA immigration counters, Customs offices, duty-free shops, and retail, and food and beverage outlets would be setup at T-2.
T-2 is referred to as “Terminal in a Garden”, and has been designed as a tribute to the Garden City of Bengaluru.