Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB), touted as one of best airports in Asia, has embarked on major expansion with civil work getting underway for Terminal 2(T2) coming up on the eastern and southern side of the existing Terminal 1(T1).
With earthmovers already operating on the site, the expansion plan seems to be going full throttle, putting at rest all speculation over the construction of Terminal 2 and the southern side high capacity runway at the airport, which saw impressive growth in 2015, registering 18.1 million footfalls - a 25.2 per cent jump over the previous year.
Sources in the Infrastructure Development Department say all decks have been cleared for the expansion with the clearances having been received early this year. “Once commissioned, the combined capacity of T1 and T2 will be 55 million passengers. The consortium running the airport has commissioned US architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to design Terminal 2 and it has come up with an innovative and artistic blueprint for it, which promises to take KIAB closer to becoming a world class airport,’’ they add.
BIAL sources say T2 will be constructed in two phase. While the first, catering to 20 million passengers annually, is expected to be commissioned by 2021, the second will add another 15 million passenger capacity. When completed, T2 will cater to 35 million passengers annually. “The existing terminal will in the meanwhile undergo expansion to accommodate the growing number of passengers till phase 1 of T2 is completed. The combined capacity of T1 and T2 will be approximately 55 million passengers,’’ sources reveal.
The expansion will see development of a 4000 m x 60 m new south parallel runway (NSPR) for Code F type aircrafts, a full parallel taxiway, two cross field taxiways connecting the new runway to the existing north runway, a T2 apron and enhancement of the existing north runway.
Once the earth balancing work is completed, work will begin on development of the main airfield, which will include pavement work and installation of CAT III B airfield lighting besides signages.
