Terminal 1 at Kempegowda International Airport, which has been catering to passengers for the last 15 years, is all set to be refurbished.
The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of the airport, will undertake a comprehensive refurbishment programme which is scheduled to commence by the third quarter of this year.
“Over the past fifteen years, this iconic terminal has enabled journeys of over 250 million happy passengers. The growing demand and evolving needs have necessitated significant enhancements and upgrades to the major facilities and utilities across T1. Many of the existing facilities are reaching their end-of-life and require modernisation to ensure an acceptable level of service (LoS),” a BIAL spokesperson told The Hindu.
The T1 was initially designed with a domestic capacity of approximately 22 million passengers per annum. However, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the terminal was handling a significantly higher volume of passengers, reaching over 33 million passengers per annum.
“This surge in passenger traffic placed considerable strain on the terminal’s infrastructure. The increased passenger volume translated to around 27 domestic departures per hour and approximately 3,900 departing passengers during peak hours. We are seeking to increase this to about 4,500 peak-hour passengers and about 35 million passengers per annum, post-refurbishment,” the spokesperson added.
The refurbishment project includes the renovation and expansion of key areas, such as the security check zones and kerbside areas, to increase the overall capacity of the terminal and further improve passenger flow and touch points.
The refurbishment of T1 is expected to be executed in a phased manner with an estimated duration spreading over approximately 24 to 36 months.
To minimise the impact on passengers, BIAL will commence the refurbishment after relocating all international traffic to Terminal 2.
“With international operations moving to T2 in the coming months, we will be converting and merging the existing international areas within T1 to domestic facilities. This will involve reconfiguring spaces, adjusting security checkpoints, and providing necessary amenities to cater to the increasing demand for domestic travel, which approximately amounts to more than 85 per cent of the total passengers handled by the airport. This conversion will allow the airport to handle more passengers, which is important as domestic passenger traffic is growing rapidly at KIA,” said the spokesperson.
What will be refurbished at Terminal 1
• Upgrade of baggage handling systems.
• Upgrade and enhancement of Maintenance Electricity Plumbing (MEP) systems.
• Installation of new elevators and escalators.
• Enhancement of security areas.
• Redevelopment of aerbside areas.
