Bengaluru airport’s ‘T2 can handle 25mn flyers a year, will be operational after 30-45 days’

The phase 1 of Terminal 2 was built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore. It is spread across 2,55,000 sq m. Once phase 2 is ready, airport officials said, the terminal can handle 20 million more flyers. Combining Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the airport will be able to handle at least 65 million flyers annually, according to the officials.

Although Terminal 2 is ready with major passenger check-in requirements, its access road is still under construction. Marar said the 10-lane access road would soon be ready for operations. Officials said the terminal would start domestic flight operations first. For international operations, the immigration and international cargo infrastructure is yet to be completed.

Planning for the long-standing demand for Terminal 2 began in 2018. Surrounded by different species of plants and trees, it is being dubbed as a “terminal in the garden”. The terminal has 180 rare and endangered species, over 3,600 plant species, bamboo cladding, 620 endemic plants, 7,700 transplanted trees, 96 lotus species and much more. Moreover, the plants are being watered through the top-bottom irrigation model, wherein plants consuming the least water are planted on the top and those requiring more water are planted at the bottom. “The terminal is a blend of traditional and modern themes that reflect the cultures of Karnataka,” Marar said.

The terminal is also technically equipped right from the entry point to the point where flyers board aircraft, with automated biometric gates, self-baggage-drop counters, full body scanners and an automatic tray retrieval system adding to users’ convenience and efficiency.

The terminal also supports Digi Yatra, through which a flyer’s face will become a single biometric token. The smart security will facilitate accurate and fast screening. (Express Photo by Jithendra M)

“Much like the security scanning models in other countries, T2 is fully automated. We have sought permission from CISF personnel to install automatic body scanners—a first in India—which do not require physical frisking. If need be, CISF can still frisk passengers,” said an airport official.

The terminal also supports Digi Yatra, through which a flyer’s face will become a single biometric token. The smart security will facilitate accurate and fast screening.

Terminal 2 is also a visual delight with its art and decor elements and 60 artworks curated on the themes of Karnataka’s rich heritage and culture and Bharata Natayshastra’s naurasa, or nine emotions. From Krishnaraj Chonat’s copper sculpture suspended at the boarding piers to Gaatha and M A Rauf’s Bidri wall art to Dhaatu and Anupama Hosker’s wood puppets suspended from the ceiling near the boarding gates to leather puppets by Foley Design and Gunduraju, the artworks capture the state’s rich heritage and culture.

As well as contributing to the beauty of the terminal, the interiors made of bamboo and the lush gardens form essential components of its sustainability pillar. The engineered bamboos are designed to be fire-retardant and long-lasting, while the gardens and the forest cover naturally cleanse the air. Solar panels and daylight harvesting save 24.9 per cent of energy. Rainwater harvesting, six major rainwater-fed ponds with 413 million litres of water to cater to the airport’s requirements, and multipurpose lagoons where pollutants are cleaned naturally are integral parts of the terminal’s sustainability plan.