Features

Flying south: Bangalore International airport

1 Feb 2016 by Neha Gupta Kapoor

This is easily a self-contained airport, built from passenger suggestions for happy passengers. To emphasise on this, the entrance of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) (or Kempegowda International Airport) is shaped into a “smiling” curve, stressing their efforts to provide service with a smile. From the time the blueprints were being implemented, BIAL reached out to passengers for their recommendations. This was through a campaign titled “Smile Bengaluru”; and in 33 months the airport opened with self-checkin kiosks, self-swipe e-boarding pass, a day hotel, business centres, spa, retail outlets, restaurants and other such on-demand facilities.

The intention of BIAL is to reach the status of an Aerotropolis — an airport city where “people will not only come here to take flights but also to relax, do business and shop. It will provide growth giving a strong impact on economy and creation of (sic) many more jobs”.

BIAL believes that a clean environment can have a soothing effect on people’s moods, greenery dominates the airport’s interiors. The first evidence is the well-maintained manicured landscapes on both sides of the airport’s driveway, which continues with clusters of potted plants and green islands inside the terminals.

Riding on the idea of a sustainable environment, BIAL has employed large windows to ensure minimum use of electricity during the day. As BIAL is conscious of its carbon footprints, each year an assigned budget helps their green initiatives such as rain water harvesting, water conservation, energy conservation, solid waste management, renewable energy projects, and green belt development, to name a few. And so BIAL has been given the Gold rating in LEED India from the Indian Green Building Council for energy efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable terminal building design.

This is only one of the list of awards won by BIAL; the others include: Best Emerging Airport – Indian Sub-continent, Emerging Markets Airports Awards (EMAA), 2010 & 2011; Best Regional Airport in Central Asia’ by Skytrax in 2015; Airport of the Year award at the 5th South East Cargo & Logistics Awards; CNBC TV 18 Infrastructure Excellence Award 2012 in the Best Airports Category.

Focussing on customer-satisfaction, BIAL has also paid attention to its culinary experience by trying to provide food outlets at every customer touch point, while offering a good mix of local and global flavours. Fast-food restaurants and cafes populate the area outside the automatic sliding doors to the checkin counters. As Bengaluru is a city that shuts at midnight, locals often make the trip for late-night coffee and snacks here.

Inside the airport, in the domestic security holding area are Malgudi Tiffin Centre (MTC), South Indian Coffee & Spices, Urban Food Market, Barista, and Time Pout Bar. In fact, MTC is a local favourite such that each day the restaurant and take-away counter together receive about two lakh visitors. Frequent travellers are known to clock in an extra half hour into their schedule for MTC. I could see what the fuss is about. The food was worth the15-minute wait as the variety of dishes we ordered stayed true to flavours of their region.

Though the international security holding area is absent of an MTC franchise, its restaurants aren’t far behind in taste: 7 Tavas, Bar and Noodle, Bar 380, Urban Food Market, and La Tapenade – Mediterranean Cafe.

It appears that the security holding area in both terminals is built to emulate a lounge. Plug points generously fitted around the lazy chairs, sofas and coffee tables can be used as temporary work stations or for naps. BIAL offers free wifi, but it can be activated only on Indian mobile numbers. This means that you are connected to the Internet even at a private cafe in the airport.

An O2 Spa has a number of express and long treatments on its menu, such as foot reflexology, neck and back massages, facials, pedicures and manicures. This however is only available at the domestic departures.

The only facility lacking is the shower facility, which can be accessed at one of the two paid-lounges, both of which are present at domestic and international departures each.

Above Ground Level (bird.in) by The Bird Group has a buffet, bar, high speed wifi, 180 degree recliners, and an eight-seater meeting room with a printer and screen. Domestic passengers can access the lounge for two hours with tea, coffee, soft beverages, cookies and wifi (₹509 per person); and rates for international passengers include this and a buffet spread for ₹1,039 per person per two hours.

Plaza Premium Lounge by Plaza Premium Network (plaza-network.com) has live food counters, a buffet, bar, shower cubicles, business centre, high-speed wifi, and a spa. Rates for international travellers start from ₹2,080 per person for two hours, exclusive of the spa facility. Rates for domestic travellers start from ₹1,500 per person for two hours, exclusive of spa and bar facilities.

Plaza Premium also manages BIAL’s only day hotel, For convenient access, it is built right above the checkin area. Only those with a ticket for a departure within 24-hours can access the hotel. The 20 rooms are divided into single, double bunk, family (for four), and twin share categories. The interiors are finished in wood and steel, and are equipped with free wifi, work desk, storage space, television, and a shower. Apart from this, Tea/coffee and dry snacks available to guests at their only restaurant are calculated into the minimum ₹2,500 + taxes rate for three hours. An a la carte menu offers Indian and global cuisine too.

The airport’s layout is such that passengers, especially those in transit needn’t worry about which direction they need to turn toward at any point. The domestic and international checkin areas are common. Of the 86 checkin counters, 33 are upgraded with baggage tracking tags from checkin to loading on the aircraft. The remaining are in the process of being updated.

Those flying on Indigo and Jet Airways can avoid human interaction until security check. Use a self-checkin kiosk and get the boarding pass on your mobile phone. Walk to the security gates and scan the boarding pass on your screen, on the assigned scanners. This is as far as it can get without human interaction. A security guard will frisk you and you will be asked to scan your cabin baggage.

Information kiosks and trained personnel are at your service should need any assistance. Likewise, at arrivals is a small booth that manages complaints if any. Their main task is to manage baggage services, and this is in collaboration with airlines. Porter services are also available.

There are seven dedicated baggage belts for domestic passengers, six for international. These include the four belts that operate on a swing concept. If the load is heavy on any one of the belts, these are then put to use — not restricted to either domestic or international flights.

Similar to the checkin counters, the conveyor domestic and international conveyor belts are in the same space. BIAL has employed as cluster format in the design of their building to help them serve passengers with ease.

It is the third busiest airport in India after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Airport and Mumbai’s CSIA T2. A total of 39 airlines connect to 57 destinations worldwide — 21 international carriers and nine Indian carriers. As of June 2015, the average air traffic movement was recorded at 400 per day and passenger traffic at 48,800 per day. This is inspite of just one functional runway. The ratio of domestic to international travellers is approximately 8:2 and peak hours don’t usually overlap. For Domestic flights, peak hours are from 5:30am to 9:30am and for international flights, 10:30pm to 1am. The number of passengers during these hours can vary anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 depending on the day.

BIAL, though running in full capacity, is still working on expanding certain areas for operation. Their website is responsive to any queries or suggestions one may have. What’s more is that they’re responsive to all communication. This is indeed, an airport for the traveller.

Time taken from disembarkation form aircraft to exit (excluding waiting time)