BIAL to start work on runway 2 in Q1 2013

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which runs the Bengaluru International Airport, hopes to start work on the second runway of the airport by Q1 of 2013. BIAL is now in the process of expanding the

airport by doubling the capacity of the airport terminal building. The masterplan for expansion of the airport has been budgeted at Rs 1,200 crore. “About 75 per cent of the cost of the expansion is being funded via debt, and rest from internal accruals,” said Hari Marar, president-airport operations, BIAL.

“Bangalore airport sees the third highest domestic traffic in the country after Mumbai and Delhi, making it the busiest in south India,” Sanjay Reddy, MD of BIAL, had said in a statement earlier. BIAL said, its domestic traffic was 10.24 million in 2011 (with the December figures).

BIAL’s passenger traffic grew 11.66 per cent in 2011 on a year-on-year basis. Aircraft movement rose 7 per cent.

The airport had seen 116,851 aircraft movements and handled 12.53 million passengers (both domestic and international) during 2011. The airport, at present, handles over 350 aircraft movements and services and around 35,000 passengers per day. Since it opened in 2008, it has grown 54 per cent, which it said is above the national average. Its annual cargo tonnage has grown at 5 per cent.

The Hyderabad-based GVK group has a 43 per cent stake in BIAL. Siemens Projects Ventures holds 26 per cent and Unique Zurich has 5 per cent. The remaining 26 per cent is divided between state-owned entities, Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation and Airports Authority of India.

BIAL is among the five privately-owned airports in India. Besides Delhi and Mumbai, others are Hyderabad and Kochi.

The GVK group is also a majority owner of Mumbai international airport.