The Kempegowda Bangalore International Airport has been the shining star that has propelled civil aviation to new heights in India. This blog is about the joy of flying and the immense impact the Bangalore Airport has had in the lives of the people of Karnataka.
Flying has always been fun; nobody forgets their first flight experience. As, it’s the most thrilling, fun-filled moment for most people. It takes immense effort and energy for a plane to leave the ground and to be air-borne. A flight lift-off is always an exhilarating experience. A large plane accelerates to high speeds over a small runway to escape the earth’s gravity to be airborne.
Travelling by air, used just be for the wealthy and well connected. However, air travel is no longer a luxury reserved for the affluent or the influential. The economic development of India, has accentuated the dreams of a better life from the young to the old. Indian aviation has seen the beneficiary of this spectacular economic growth over the last 30 years. Indians have taken to flying with gung-ho. Doing a same day business trip, taking a week-long holiday to a far off land has become normal.
The aspirations and ambitions of the affluent Indian middle class have catapulted civil aviation to new heights. India is now the ninth-largest civil aviation market and one of the fastest-growing in the world. Indian flight operators are projected to increase their fleet size to over 1200 aircraft by 2024. They are expected to cater to over 520 million passengers by 2037. The Bangalore Airport is only behind Delhi and Mumbai in passenger traffic with over 33 million travellers in 2019.
The Legend of Kempe Gowda
The Bangalore International Airport named after Kempe Gowda was a chieftain, under the Vijayanagara Empire. Kempe Gowda was a visionary who envisioned a big futuristic city. He was instrumental in planning and building forts, cantonments, water reservoirs, and temples, so that people of all trades and professions can live and thrive in it. The Government of India in 2013, named the city’s airport in honour of its founding father, as the Kempegowda International Airport.
The economic development of a city is often associated with infrastructure development. Airports help in the development of not only the city but also its surrounding areas. The Bangalore airport has been a beacon of prosperity and economic development for Bangalore City. It has acted as an enabler and helped attract foreign direct investment.
This has indirectly creating economic clusters that facilitate growth in the surrounding districts. For statistics, the Bangalore International Airport reported a total revenue of over 600 crores in the year 2019-20. The Bangalore Airport has created jobs, helped raise revenue for the government in the form of taxes. While it has done its bid in providing humanitarian aid by transporting medical supplies swiftly to anywhere in the world.
The Kempegowda International Airport is an ultra-modern facility spread over 1600 acres. It is situated at Devanahalli and is 30 km to the north of Bangalore City. It started operations in 2008 to ease congestion at the Bangalore HAL Airport. The airport consists of two runways that handle both domestic and international flights. A second terminal is in the early stages of construction and will ease traffic on the first terminal. The airport also boasts of three cargo terminals. A cargo village augments all-cargo operations to and from the airport.
Domestic Flights at Bangalore Airport
The Bangalore Airport has become a hub for domestic travel in India. Airline operators like Air India, Indigo, Spicejet, and Vistara operate from here. With daily flights to Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Patna, Pondicherry, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, etc.
International Flights at Bangalore Airport.
Many International Airlines like Air France, British Airways, Emirates, and Etihad have an eye on the Indian skies for some time. The Bangalore Airport operates long haul flights to far off destinations like Seattle, London Heathrow, Paris Charles De Gaulle, Dubai, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.
Facilities at Bangalore International Airport
The Kempegowda International Airport is a state-of-the-art swanky facility with some of the finest airport lounges. The most sophisticated facilities are comparable to the best airports in the world. Here are some facilities that travellers might fall in love with.
1. Bangalore Duty Free Shop
The duty-free shops operating at the International Arrival & Departure lounges offer an unparalleled selection of local and global brands. International travellers can purchase over 10,000 products at these stores. While the items range from cosmetics, fragrances, chocolates, liquor, etc.
2. Bangalore Airport Parking
The Bangalore Airport Parking facility caters to the parking needs of both visitors and travellers. Airport parking can be used by visitors who have come to pick up or drop off their loved ones at the airport. Frequent flyers can avail of parking facilities for longer hours in case of the same day return. Parking charges for more than 24 hours usually attract a higher fee.
3. Bangalore Airport International Lounge
The Bangalore Airport lounge offers dedicated areas for both domestic and international travellers. The lounges provide a well-designed seating space that provides comfort with the convenience to relax and unwind.
4. Culinary Experience
The Bangalore Airport food counters offer delectable, mouth-watering delicacies to satiate the taste buds of all travellers. Some of the food counters to check out include Café Coffee Day, 7 Tawas, Bar 380, KFC, Krispy Crème Doughnuts, and Taste of India.
5. Wifi & Mobile Charging Stations
Travellers can avail of free WiFi facilities, mobile charging points and personal lockers at the airport.
6. Foreign Exchange Counters
The Bangalore Airport is equipped with foreign exchange services for passengers to and from the airport. The four counters operate 24 X 7 on all 365 days of the year. The foreign exchange offers services like destination foreign currency notes, traveller’s cheques, and travel insurance policies.
International and domestic telephone calling cards and multi-currency forex prepaid cards. Foreign nationals arriving in India have the facility to exchange Indian rupees against foreign currency. Other facilities include denominated credit cards, purchase domestic telephone calling cards and avail inward money transfer facilities.
Airport Connectivity to and from the International Airport
The Bangalore International Airport is around 35 km from the city centre. This has meant an hour-long journey to and from the Airport. The airport can be reached by taxi, public transport and by rail.
1. Public Transport
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) operates the ultra-modern Volvo “Vajra Vayu” bus service. While there are over 23 strategic localities to choose from, the operations from the Kempegowda bus station is the most popular. Airport Services from the Kempegowda bus station operate throughout the day at 20-30 minute intervals.
2. Rail Connectivity
The South Western Railways have started three pairs of DEMU services on the Bangalore Airport section. These services start from the Bangalore City Railway station to the Kempegowda International Airport station at Yelahanka. The train runs six days a week with no service on Sundays.
The train ticket cost Rs 30. Passengers have to board a shuttle service from the airport train station to the airport costing Rs 10. This facility has helped over 25,000 people working at the airport and its adjoining facilities.
Sustainability & Care for the Environment.
The Bangalore International Airport has been doing its part for the environment by planning & implementing various environmentally-friendly initiatives. A meticulously planned outdoor airport garden is in the works for some time. The futuristic garden coming up when terminal 2 is complete is going to be interesting.
The lawns will feature unique plants, native specimens of trees, flowering trees, and shrubs. The airport has also taken steps to ensure that the water table levels at the facility have do not deplete. The rainwater discharged from the airport buildings is stored in large underground storage tanks, to be processed at water treatment plants for reuse.
Other plans include developing rainwater harvesting ponds from the nearly 70-acre open spaces within the airport facility. A solar energy generation unit with a capacity of up to 50 million units a year has become operational. Some non-renewable efforts include replacing over 400 electricity guzzling sodium vapor lamps with LED lighting.
Shathayu Retreat – A Superlative Ayurvedic Retreat in Bangalore
Bangalore has earned a reputation of becoming a hub of innovation in healthcare, biotech and software services. One beneficiary is the booming demand for medical tourism. The city enjoys a salubrious climate with lush greenery, parks and streets lined with trees.
International travellers can take advantage of the many health care establishments dotting the Bangalore metropolis. Super-specialty clinics, ayurvedic & naturopathy medical facilities offer travellers effective health care solutions at affordable prices.
Shathayu Ayurveda Retreat is one such premier healthcare resort located away from the hustle and bustle of the Bangalore Metropolis. It is just 20 km from the Bengaluru International Airport. Shathayu provides holistic wellness services that take care of the mental, physical, spiritual, social, and lifestyle aspects of customers staying at the centre. Our wellness program are designed with expertise garnered from over 120 years of ayurvedic practice for five generations.
Shathayu Ayurveda Retreat is surrounded by hillocks on three sides with a perennial lake on the other side, offering a perfect ambience to recharge, recuperate and reenergize. We customize our wellness programs to suit the specific needs of the customer. Shathayu specializes in weight management, pain management and de-addiction. To get to know more about the many wellness packages offered by Shathayu please click the link here.
Shathayu’s specialized care for chronic illnesses like Migraine, Asthma, Psoriasis, Parkinson’s disease and Diabetes have been well received with positive feedback from customers who have undergone treatment with us. Our facility is carefully designed by blending both the traditional and the modern. Travellers can also check in to one of the 12 Shathayu’s clinics offering superlative ayurvedic treatments in Bangalore.
The Shathayu Retreat center is equipped with amenities matching international standards like a yoga hall, an amphitheatre a medicinal and spiritual garden. Heal together, live fuller with Shathayu and experience the good life. Kindly visit our website at https://shathayuretreat.com/ or email us at info@shathayu.com.
A true Bangalore Airport Experience….
The Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore has won the SKYTRAX Award. An award for the best regional Airport in India and Central Asia in 2020. This is made possible by pioneering world-class services. Its bid to help save the planet has come in for high praise. The award is a testament to the high standards set by the airport while providing seamless services.
The services here from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security, immigration, and departure at the gate have been top of the line. An airport departure of a dear one can kindle a romance, while the airport arrival of a loved one helps strengthen bonds of love. Let airports break barriers of hatred, spread camaraderie and friendship for many years to come.
“The last goodbye at the airport made them realize how madly they loved each other.”