The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru saw about 33.65 million passengers in 2019 registering passenger growth of about 4.1% when compared with the 2018 figure of 32.33 million.

There were 28.78 million domestic passengers and 4.87 million international passengers in 2019. There has been an increase of 14% in international passenger traffic and 2.6% in domestic traffic in 2019 when compared with figures for the previous year. In the same period, domestic cargo has seen a growth of  4.1% growth and international cargo has dropped by 4.1%.

"We estimate that passenger volumes at BLR Airport will be between 55 to 65 million passengers per annum in the next five years. To support this growth, BIAL is investing Rs 13,000 crore for infrastructure expansion, including the South Runway, which is operational, and the first phase of Terminal 2,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). 

Indigo airlines has retained its lead, with an increase of 13% in passenger figures last year. 

The KIA on the city's northern outskirts at Devanahalli is the country's third-largest airport. The most travelled destinations from Bengaluru are Delhi and Mumbai (national), and Singapore and Dubai (international).

“The Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) were down by 0.1% as against the double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) witnessed in the previous five years (2014 to 2018). The total ATMs during this period was 235,058 as compared 235,190 ATMs in 2018,” stated the report.

Recently, BIAL has made an agreement to construct a Concert Arena, which is expected to function by the end of 2021. This arena is dedicated to entertaining the passengers, by organising world-class music band performances, sporting events, expos and exhibitions, throughout the year. “The citizens of Bengaluru have come to associate the BLR Airport with more than just travel – The Quad by BLR and the Concert Arena already draw non-travellers to the airport, as well,” added Marar.