Bengaluru airport records highest cargo handling in 2021, recovery in passenger traffic

“International cargo recorded a 32.8 per cent growth as 2,65,873 MT was processed as compared to 2,00,209 MT in 2020. Domestic cargo grew at 21.3 per cent as 1,40,815 MT was processed as against 1,16,096 MT in 2020,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, the United States (US) and Europe continue to be the top trade lanes from the airport.

“The tremendous recovery in air cargo is a positive sign for the aviation sector that has been severely impacted by the pandemic,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL.

“The key factors that contributed to the cargo growth at Bengaluru airport are our resilient ecosystem that ensured efficient operations round the clock, focus on supply chain efficiencies, conducive geographic location, aided with robust infrastructure and technology, the right mix of commodities and adequate airline capacities to key markets globally,” Marar added.

Thirteen airlines operate freighters to and from Bengaluru airport and various domestic and international destinations. “Commodities driving the growth are perishables (both agricultural and poultry products), pharma, chemicals and textiles in the exports category, and electronics, heavy machinery, healthcare and life science products in the imports category. Notably, Bengaluru airport has emerged as the No. 1 airport in the country for perishable exports, accounting for 31 per cent of India’s total perishable shipments during the financial year 2020-21,” the spokesperson said.

Recovery in passenger traffic

Bengaluru airport authorities said that the increased pace of Covid-19 vaccination has led to a substantial recovery in domestic passenger traffic in 2021.

“During this period, Bengaluru airport welcomed 16.07 million passengers, registering a growth of 18.9 per cent from 13.51 million passengers in 2020. Bengaluru Airport has been able to recover 48 per cent of the pre-Covid level traffic of 33.65 million passengers handled in 2019,” the spokesperson explained.

After the gradual easing of curbs by various state governments, domestic passenger traffic recorded double-digit growth of 22 per cent, an upswing from 12.39 million in 2020 to 15.12 million in 2021. The second wave of Covid-19, which led to continued travel restrictions across the globe, followed by supply-side limitations on seat load had led to a decline in international traffic. During this period, international passenger traffic shrunk by 15.5 per cent, from 1.12 million in 2020 to 0.94 million in 2021.

“The positive environment in 2021 ignited hopes for a better 2022 in terms of recovery. However, the recent outbreak of the new Omicron variant followed by a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases across the country is expected to suppress growth further,” said Marar.

“We believe that air traffic will eventually recover. However, the pace of recovery will depend on factors such as favourable policies by regulators and easing of travel restrictions across the country and the globe, amongst others,” Marar added.

The Kempegowda airport also saw a growth in air traffic movements (ATM) by 22.5 per cent in 2021, with the total ATMs during this period being 1,53,212. According to the airport authorities, both domestic and international movements saw an upward trend of 23.8 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. The highest single-day ATMs was 590, registered on December 19, 2021, while the average daily ATMs for CY 2021 was 420.

The year also saw significant growth in the number of domestic destinations from 54 (pre-Covid) to 74, the highest ever for Bengaluru airport, the authorities said. “This is an outcome of enhanced connectivity to tier-2/3 cities. During the year, 14 new routes were introduced from Bengaluru to Agra, Bareilly, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Nashik, Silchar, Jamnagar, Jharsuguda, Jorhat, Jaisalmer, Kurnool, Rajkot, Durgapur and Kanpur,” spokesperson said. The airport currently serves 20 international destinations under the Indian government’s air bubble arrangement.

“Due to the airport’s strong non-metro connectivity, there has been a two-fold increase in the transfer passenger share at Bengaluru airport, with it establishing itself as the most preferred transit destination in South India. The airport also has a wide catchment area of over 20 cities, with a convenient flying time of up to 75 minutes,” the spokesperson added.

The top domestic routes in 2021 were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa, with these sectors contributing 40 per cent of the traffic. On the international front, Dubai, Male, Doha, London, and Frankfurt were the top cities, contributing 70 per cent of the traffic.

New international routes

In January, Air India commenced the non-stop Bengaluru-San Francisco service that operates twice weekly. With this, Bengaluru airport became the first in south and central India to have direct connectivity to northern America.

Japan Airlines commenced flights under the air bubble arrangement between Bengaluru and Tokyo from March 2021. The airline plans to increase frequency once the restrictions on international travel are relaxed, the spokesperson said.

“United Airlines and American airlines are expected to commence operations in 2022 to San Francisco and Seattle, respectively. Despite restrictions on international operations, additional long-haul routes remain one of the focus areas, given the fact that Bengaluru airport offers one of the highest international yields and best connectivity to domestic destinations amongst major Indian airports,” the spokesperson added.