Terminal 2 will be the finest in India, says BIAL MD
The Hindu
The terminal is designed with focus on ecology, sustainability and culture of Karnataka
Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, will offer one of the finest experiences for passengers in India, said Hari Marar, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) MD and CEO.
Speaking during a guided walkthrough of Terminal 2 on Saturday, he said it offers the best of technologies in an environment that pays tribute to the Garden City of Bengaluru. The terminal is designed with focus on ecology, sustainability and culture of Karnataka.
“From a technological standpoint, Terminal 2 features all the best technologies. Digi Yatra has been woven into the travel programme which means you can use your facial biometrics to travel through the airport, there are self-drop baggage counters which means you do not have to go to a manned counter. You can just drop your bag and go through, there are full-body scanners that have been deployed here,” Mr. Marar said.
Apart from technological features, the new terminal will host the never-seen-before retail and food and beverages outlets, the MD added. “Retail and food and beverages that they would have never seen at any airport in India today are being put together,” he said.
He said that terminal had been complete in four years despite two years being COVID-19 years. “We have been able to complete it because of the efforts of a lot of people, construction companies, our design companies and all our employees have done a tremendous job in putting this together,” he said.
The construction of the terminal began in October, 2018, with BIAL planning to build it in two phases. Phase 1, covering 255,645 square meters, will cater to 25 million passengers per annum (MPPA), while the second phase which is still in the planning stage would be able to handle 20 MPPA. Once both phases are complete, T2 will be able to handle 70 MPPA.
In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.