Bengaluru: The Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL), which plays a major role in the cargo business that contributes 11 per cent of Karnataka's GDP, is now working on the creation of a free trade area (FTA) or a special economic zone (SEZ) on its campus to offer its cargo services to the whole of south India. With its expansion plans in mind, the BIAL intends to widen the airport internal road into a five-lane, two of which will be reserved for passengers and three others for trucks carrying cargo. Speaking to the Deccan Chronicle, a BIAL spokesman said it had grown to become the largest and only airport to provide comprehensive ground and cargo handling services in the south.
“Our intention is to support more cargo business and make the airport a cargo hub for south India. We have planned a parking lot over two acres for over 250 trucks at a time,” he revealed. Going by BIAL records, the first quarter of the year showed a 117 per cent growth in its cargo business compared with the same period last year.
Pharma exports from BIAL, which have been growing at a steady 15 per cent CAGR, account for over 7 per cent of the total exports from Bengaluru. Over 70 per cent of pharma exports from the city are to the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Vietnam, Philippines, Germany, Nigeria, Algeria, Uganda and Russia. Over the next few days, BIAL plans to connect with Ambur to offer its services for leather export too. The five-lane road is not only meant to cater to the increase in its cargo handling services, but also the anticipated rise in passengers once the Metro Rail is extended to it.
Metro at BIAL
The Metro link from Nagawara to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), which will cover around 29 kms, is estimated to cost nearly Rs 5,900 crore, going by the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and approved by the government. The construction of the two Metro stations, planned near the Sky Garden and the airport terminal, will link both Terminals 1 and 2. The airport Metro line, which will be an extension of the Gottigere-Nagawara line of Phase-II, will have halts at Hegde Nagar, Jakkur, Yelahanka (Kogilu Cross) and Chikkajala enroute to it. The line will be fully elevated , barring the stretch near the Yelahanka Air Force station where it will be level with the ground.
