Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has surpassed 40 million passengers in 2024, the airport said in a release. This is the first time that this milestone has been achieved in a calendar year. This will push Bengaluru in “Large Airport” category, with many airport tracking, rating and ranking companies having a cut-off of 40 million to be classified as a Large Airport. Bengaluru will be the third airport in India to get into this category, behind Delhi and Mumbai.
In 2024, BLR Airport welcomed 40.73 million passengers as compared to 37.2 million
in 2023. The highest number of passengers in a single day was recorded on October 20, 2024,
with 126,532 passengers passing through the airport. Additionally, the Airport recorded a
peak of 782 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) on October 17, 2024, with an annual average of
723 ATMs per day.
Read: Routes & Networks: In Conversation with BIAL’s CCO Satyaki Raghunath
As of December 31, 2024, Bengaluru Airport serviced 75 domestic and 30 international destinations,
further solidifying its position as a premier gateway for both passenger and cargo traffic in the
region. The Airport expanded its global network with new airline partners like Virgin Atlantic,
Salam Air, and Fly91. The frequency of international flights increased by 21%, with
an average of 75 ATMs per day in CY 2024, up from 62 ATMs per day in CY 2023. By the end of
CY24, Indigo added 46 international weekly departures from Bengaluru, making up one-third of the
total 240 additional international weekly departures from India. This is the highest number of
additions in India from any station by Indigo in CY24.
This growth was complemented by a significant surge in daily air traffic movements (ATMs)
and the launch of several new domestic and international routes. Bengaluru Airport also reported
its highest-ever annual cargo tonnage of 496,227 MT, reflecting strong performance in both
international and domestic segments. These milestones highlight Bengaluru Airport’s growing
importance as a major hub for travel and trade in the region.
Major airlines operating to and from Bengaluru Airport have increased international seat capacity
by over 3,700 daily seats between the beginning of the IATA Summer 2024 season and the
Winter 2024 season. This surge is largely driven by Indigo’s expansion of its international
network and frequency, along with increased services from several foreign carriers. As a result,
Bengaluru Airport is now consolidating its position as the third busiest airport in India for
international passenger numbers.
The top domestic routes included Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), Kolkata (CCU), Hyderabad
(HYD), and Pune (PNQ), while the most popular international destinations were Dubai (DXB),
Singapore (SIN), Abu Dhabi (AUH), Doha (DOH), and London Heathrow (LHR). The year also
saw the launch of several new routes, including domesNc destinations like Ayodhya (AYJ),
Aizawl (AJL), Deoghar (DGH), Nanded (NDC), Jabalpur (JLR), Dibrugarh (DIB), and Sindhudurg
(SDW), as well as internaNonal routes to Denpasar (DPS), Mauritius (MRU), Langkawi (LGK).
Bengaluru Airport also experienced significant growth in cargo volumes -, processing 496,227 metric
tons (MT) of cargo in CY 2024—a 17% increase compared to CY 2023. International cargo saw
a remarkable 23% growth, totalling 313,981 MT, driven by increased demand for perishables,
spare parts, engineering goods, and e-commerce shipments. Domestic cargo volumes
increased by 9%, reaching 182,246 MT, spurred by seasonal perishable volumes and
expanding e-commerce activity.
The Airport’s highest single-day cargo volume was recorded on July 11, 2024, with 1,884 MT
processed. Bengaluru Airport’s cargo network now includes 12 freighter airlines operaNng on both domestic and international routes,. Key export routes included Singapore (SIN), London (LHR), Frankfurt (FRA), Chicago(ORD), and Muscat (MCT), while top import routes included Shenzhen (SZX), Singapore (SIN), Shanghai (PVG), Hong Kong (HKG), and Frankfurt (FRA).
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