BIAL to develop new cargo infra and facility in 2023

Over the next decade, we will invest in new infrastructure and facilities to meet demand. With the fast-paced growth in business and rising demands, we intend to remain at the forefront of providing world-class facilities, infrastructure and technology to our customers, partners and stakeholders,” said Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy & Development Officer, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL). “We are looking at the development of a new domestic cargo terminal, refurbishing the existing cargo terminals with enhanced capacity and the expansion of cold-chain facility. With the government getting involved and focusing on logistics efficiency and infrastructural development through initiatives like Gati Shakti and NLP, we are expecting to have an extremely favourable environment to grow our cargo business. We believe that we can cater to around 1.5 million MT of cargo annually in the next decade and we are preparing for that,” he added. Airfreight volumes through BLR Airport have grown considerably over the last 10 years with a CAGR of 11 per cent (pre-COVID). According to internal estimates, the Airport’s unconstrained cargo potential is estimated to be 1.7 – 1.9 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2038. This estimate was arrived at considering the natural catchment areas of Bangalore and the proximity of trucking distance that is approximately 7-12 hours from major export and import hubs in the region.  The design capacity of the airport’s cargo operations by the end of the financial year FY 21/22 was enhanced from 570,000 MTPA to 715,000 MTPA, he further informed.