Bengaluru: Airlines can now add more flights from the Bengaluru airport with the commissioning of two rapid exit taxiways (RETs) from Wednesday, which will increase aircraft movement capacity to 38 per hour from 34 at present.
The runway upgradation work at the Kempegowda International Airport at Bengaluru, which included construction of two additional RETs, has been completed and the taxiways are set to be commissioned on Wednesday.
Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which runs the airport, said that flight operations at the airport are likely to be affected between 11 am and 2.30 pm on Wednesday and could be delayed by up to 20 minutes during the period. Airlines have already been informed about the anticipated delay in operations, it added.
The runway upgradation work had commenced in February this year to cater to the growing air traffic at the Bengaluru airport. The upgradation work was carried out in a phased manner in certain parts, involving closure of the runway, and in other parts, partial closure of facilities without any impact on airport operations, it said.
BIAL has taken into view the long-term benefit of increased capacity for the upcoming seasons till the second runway becomes available, which is expected to be functional by September 2019.
BIAL said that it will progressively scale up aircraft movement capacity to 44 per hour. BIAL is a joint venture company with Canadian NRI businessman Prem Watsa's Fairfax group owning around 48 per cent stake. Apart from Fairfax, Siemens Project Ventures, Airport Authority of India and Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation are the other stakeholders.
