BIAL high on tech

Javed Malik, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL, talks about long-term expansion plans at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

Manas Dwivedi

As the operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is constantly innovating and reinventing itself to provide best possible experiences to travellers. Javed Malik, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL, says that they are aiming to increase the annual passenger throughout during peak hours and working on the construction of Terminal 2 and the New South Parallel Runway (NSPR). “The work on the 4000-metre NSPR has begun and is expected to be ready for operation by late 2019. The new runway will cater to all types of aircraft. Terminal 2 will be built in two phases – with Phase-I scheduled for completion by mid-2021,” informs Malik.

As part of the interim capacity enhancement measures, BIAL has already increased the number of self-check-in kiosks, check-in counters, security check zones, swing gates and taxi parking. “We are currently working on additional gates, self-bag drop counters, auto-tray retrieval systems, e-gates and queue management,” he adds.

Talking about new and emerging technologies to transform the airport experience, Malik says that BIAL is aiming towards providing facilities and amenities that are meant to serve rapidly changing customer needs.  He explains, “A digital roadmap for the airport is in the pipeline in partnership with Accenture. We want to introduce more digitally advanced services and products at Bengaluru to ensure that passengers and partners have the advantage of future-forward technologies.”

Explaining more about the upcoming Terminal 2, Malik says that the new terminal’s interior will reflect the art, tradition and culture of Karnataka and Bengaluru. “T2 is envisaged as a first-of-its-kind – a terminal within a garden – that will blend with the ethos of Bengaluru as a Garden City. The interiors with sustainability are built into the design aesthetics of all our projects,” he mentions.