Air India and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have entered an agreement to develop Bengaluru as an aviation hub, with an aim to boost air travel connectivity to and from India over the next few years.
Passenger experience
Air India (along with other Tata Group airlines – AIX and Vistara) and BIAL will collaborate to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency and passenger experience over the next five years. This includes strengthening the group’s presence at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB or BLR airport) through an improved network and establishing a dedicated domestic lounge for premium and frequent travelers of Tata Group airlines Air India and Vistara.
Maintenance, repair and overhaul
As part of this initiative, Air India has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Karnataka to establish comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities at BLR airport. This represents Air India’s commitment to strengthening its presence in Bengaluru and, over time, expanding its footprint to meet the growing demand for direct long-haul routes originating from Southern India. This partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate over 1,200 job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the state.
Campbell Wilson, managing director and CEO of Air India, said, “Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations, while Bengaluru is highly attractive as an origin and destination market as well as a connecting hub. We are therefore delighted to be strengthening our relationship with BIAL with a view to developing a greater presence at the airport, expanding air connectivity as well as building a major MRO center. This partnership agreement is a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of Air India.”
Hari Marar, managing director and CEO of BIAL, said, “As the busiest airport in South India, BLR Airport is dedicated to strengthening its position as the primary international gateway in Southern and Central India. This collaboration aligns perfectly with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s vision of developing Indian airports as hubs, reflecting our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience. Given that over half of the international outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment head to Europe, North America, Australia and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a substantial leap toward this goal. We aim to capture a significant share of long-haul routes from BLR Airport over the next five years.”
For more of the top insights into Kempegowda International Airport’s development plans, read Passenger Terminal World’s exclusive feature “How did Kempegowda Airport successfully curate its multi-faceted ‘terminal in a garden’?”, here.