With Karnataka, Air India signs a memorandum of understanding to expand Bengaluru Airport

With the goal of increasing air travel connections to and from India over the next years, Bengaluru will become a key aviation hub for southern India thanks to an agreement that Air India and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have engaged into.

An important turning point has been reached in the Indian aviation sector with this agreement. Over the next five years, Air India, AIX, and Vistara, as well as BIAL, will work together to improve international connectivity, operational effectiveness, and customer experience, the Tata Group airline said in a statement on Monday.

The agreement entails creating a separate domestic lounge for elite and regular passengers of Tata Group airlines Air India and Vistara, as well as bolstering the Air India group’s presence at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB or BLR airport) via an improved network.

Air India and the Karnataka government have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop extensive Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities at BLR airport as part of this effort. This collaboration will boost the MRO ecosystem and is expected to create more than 1,200 new jobs in the state for highly qualified workers.

“Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations,” said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Air India. “Bengaluru is highly attractive as an origin and destination market as well as a connecting hub.” As a result, we are happy to be enhancing our partnership with BIAL in order to establish a larger presence at the airport, increase air connectivity, and construct a sizable MRO facility. An important turning point in Air India’s continuous development has been reached with this collaboration arrangement.

“As the busiest airport in South India, BLR Airport is dedicated to strengthening its position as the primary international gateway in Southern and Central India,” said Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited. This partnership is a wonderful fit with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s goal of making Indian airports hubs, and it demonstrates our dedication to improving the traveler experience. Our partnership with Air India marks a significant step towards achieving this aim, since more than half of all international outbound travelers from Bengaluru and our catchment region go to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East. Over the next five years, our goal is to get a significant portion of long-haul flights from BLR Airport.