BIAL registers record growth in cargo volumes, says airport authority

The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru recorded its highest-ever cargo tonnage in fiscal year (FY) 2022, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said in a release Tuesday.
“Bengaluru Airport processed an all-time high tonnage for a fiscal year since Airport Opening Day (AOD) of 411,513 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cargo, recording a growth of 26% as against 326,643MT in FY-2021. International cargo recorded a 31% growth, 271,988 MT processed, as compared to 207,518 MT in FY-2021. Domestic cargo grew at 17%, with 139,525MT versus 119,125MT in FY-2021,” the release stated.
Bengaluru Airport processed 39,518 MT of cargo in October 2021 — the highest-ever for a month since AOD. International cargo processed (both imports and exports) was also the highest-ever in October 2021, accounting for 25,695 MT. The airport achieved a significant record by gaining 13% of India’s air cargo market share and 45% of south India’s air cargo market share. With this achievement, the Bengaluru airport has become the only major airport in the country to show growth over pre-pandemic levels, the release further claimed.
“Perishable cargo has been one of the major growth drivers for Bengaluru Airport. It is the No. 1 airport in the country for handling perishables estimated to account for 31% of India’s total perishable shipments,” the BIAL added.
The Bengaluru airport also recorded the highest-ever domestic connectivity, rising from 54 destinations in FY-2021 to 76 in FY-2022.
Passenger traffic continues to recover with over 45% growth in domestic travel and about 136% growth in international travel in FY-2022 as compared to FY-2021. The Bengaluru airport welcomed 16.28 million passengers in FY-2022 versus 10.91 million passengers in FY-2021. Traffic recovery was 54% of FY-2020 levels – domestic recovery was at 55%, while international passenger traffic recovery was at 24%, the BIAL claimed.
“Our focus on driving operational efficiencies coupled with a resilient ecosystem has enabled us to end FY-2022 on a record high both in terms of cargo and passenger volumes. It reflects our commitment to serving the industry and our customers through sustained innovations and technological advancements,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL.
Share of non-metro traffic to/from Bengaluru airport increased from 45% pre-Covid (Apr’19-Feb’20) to 60% in FY-2022. As a result, the transfer traffic share at Bengaluru airport has increased to 18% in FY-2022, compared to 10% in the pre-Covid era. With this sustained growth, the airport has established itself as the most-preferred transit destination in south India, the BIAL said. Top domestic routes in FY-2022 were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, with these sectors contributing 40% to the traffic.
Bengaluru Airport served 20 international destinations in FY-2022 with Dubai, Male, Doha, London, and Frankfurt being the top cities contributing 67% to the traffic.
Air Traffic Movements (ATM) at Bengaluru Airport witnessed a recovery of 64% in FY-2022 compared to FY-2020. The domestic ATM recovery was at 66% while international recovery was at 51%.
Scheduled international operations commenced effective 27 March, 2022, and as a result, airlines have started reinstating their pre-Covid international network from Bengaluru airport. By Quarter-II of FY-23, airlines at Bengaluru airport are expected to serve most of their international pre-Covid non-stop destinations, the release claimed.