Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), southern India’s busiest, is all set to launch its second terminal, aptly called “Terminal in a Garden” after Bengaluru’s green cover. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate this facility on November 11, after its progress was delayed by the Covid pandemic for close to two years.
According to experts, the Bengaluru airport will soon overtake Mumbai to become India’s second busiest airport after Delhi with this new development.
Built at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore, this garden-themed swanky new terminal 2 is not just about aesthetics. It also emphasises environmental sustainability and green living. Huge bells potted with plants hang from the ceiling across the terminal. It has been built with mini-gardens that house local and rare plant and tree species and in order to complete the connection with nature, waterfalls and natural ponds also adorn the terminal.
“A lagoon with a big outdoor garden around it, multi-modal transport hub including Namma Metro, solar panels on the roof, elevated walkways and green seating areas” are also highlights of this new terminal, according to BIAL. The ticket and check-in counters are modernised to provide both seamless and quicker transfer for the passengers. Terminal in a Garden will have 22 entry and exit gates, and nine baggage claim belts have been built in it.
The passenger experience is meant to be a “walk in the garden”. Passengers will travel through 10,000+ sq m of green walls, hanging gardens and outdoor gardens and these gardens have been made in India using indigenous technology.
The airport has already established a benchmark in sustainability with 100% usage of renewable energy across the campus. Terminal 2 has been created with sustainability principles woven into the design, said officials.
At the new terminal, one can also expect to see the use of AI and robotics, News18 has learnt. BIAL has launched and deployed “Temi”, a robot assistant in terminal 1, as part of a pilot project to assist passengers. Ten such robots that have been assigned floors and zones assist passengers with directions to the boarding gates, facilities like drinking water and washrooms, shopping zones, and baggage claim. This will also become a feature at terminal 2, sources said.
A recent video shared by Karnataka minister Dr K Sudhakar calls it a “reflection of the ethos of Bengaluru as the garden city of India”. Sudhakar gave people a peek into the terminal that officials say is set to win the hearts of every traveller who sets foot in the Bengaluru airport.
The new terminal, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) says, will boost the passenger capacity by an additional 25 million annually. While PM Modi will inaugurate phase 1, phase 2 which is presently in progress is expected to be completed in a couple of years and will serve an additional 20 million passengers per annum who are expected to fly in and out of KIA.
“T2 will have a total built-up area of 2.55 lakh square metres with arrivals being planned on the ground floor and departures via the first floor,” said BIAL. Another 4.41 lakh square metres will be added to this new terminal during the second phase.
Bengaluru’s airport has not only bounced back in terms of footfall since air travel opened up after the pandemic, but it also saw 102 per cent growth in passenger traffic and an 85 per cent growth in international travel last month, according to the report shared by BIAL. In 2021, the airport catered to 6.61 million passengers in the month of October. During the same time period this year, the airport saw 16.30 million passengers landing in KIA, according to the statistics shared by the officials.
Apart from terminal 2, a multi-billion dollar “Airport City”, which will double up as a smart city and business hub within the premises of KIA, is also being planned. The intent is to expand the area around the airport on the lines of a futuristic Bengaluru airport city, it is reported. With close to 500 acres that has been identified, this futuristic city will function at multiple levels. A smart village that will facilitate retail, dining and entertainment, a world-class business park that will further facilitate building Bengaluru’s core strength — technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, manufacturing, computing, etc, — a state-of-the-art central kitchen that will cater to local as well as international cuisines, a world-class hotel with around 775 rooms are also part of the project infrastructure.
Just like the Quad at KIA, a designated shopping and entertainment zone at the present airport that also plays host to musical concerts, theatre, etc, a similar concert arena for outdoor events, but on a much more massive scale, is also in the works. This smart-airport city will also build a transportation hub connecting it to Bengaluru city via metro, buses, and suburban rail.
The aim is also to create a technology and business cluster around this “Airport City”, which will help boost Brand Bengaluru, explain officials who are in the know of the developments.
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