Bengaluru Airport Guide: India’s Tech Capital Gateway
Bengaluru Airport, officially Kempegowda International, handles more than 44 million passengers a year. Terminals, runways, routes, transport and spotting.
By The Aviation Hub
7 min read
Updated October 20, 2026 
Kempegowda International Airport serves Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and the centre of India’s technology industry. The field lies near Devanahalli, roughly 22 miles (35 km) north of the city centre, and opened in 2008 to replace the cramped HAL Airport. Bengaluru Airport is now the third busiest in India, with around 44.5 million passengers in the year to March 2026. Its two long runways, a striking new terminal and fast growing long haul network make it the most important gateway in the south of the country.
Bengaluru Airport at a Glance
The IATA code is BLR and the ICAO code is VOBL. The airport sits at 914 metres (3,000 feet) above sea level on the Deccan plateau, which gives it a mild climate for its latitude. Two parallel asphalt runways serve two terminals, the original domestic Terminal 1 and the garden themed Terminal 2 that opened in 2022. Bangalore International Airport Limited operates the field under a public private partnership in which Fairfax of Canada holds the majority, alongside Siemens and the state and national governments.
Passenger numbers grew by about 6 per cent in the latest financial year, with roughly 7.2 million of the total travelling internationally. Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air and Star Air all base aircraft at Bengaluru Airport, and DHL and FedEx run freighter hubs. The airport also handles more perishable cargo than any other in India, led by flowers and fresh produce. Flight schedules and transport details are published on the airport’s official website.
How Bengaluru’s Airport Came to Be
For decades commercial flights used HAL Airport, a military and manufacturing airfield in the east of the city shared with Hindustan Aeronautics. By the late 1990s it was overwhelmed, and the state government chose a greenfield site at Devanahalli. Construction began in July 2005 and the first commercial arrival, an Air India flight from Mumbai, landed late on 23 May 2008. The airport opened formally the next day amid protests over the closure of HAL to airline traffic.
The field was called Bengaluru International Airport at first. In 2013 it was renamed after Kempe Gowda I, the sixteenth century chieftain credited with founding the city. The change took effect on 14 December that year. Forecasts were quickly overtaken, and the new terminal was soon running beyond its design capacity.
A first expansion between 2011 and 2013 doubled the size of the terminal. The second runway opened in December 2019 and the original one, which had deteriorated within four years of opening, was resurfaced. Terminal 2 followed in November 2022, and all international flights at Bengaluru Airport moved there from the older building in September 2023.
Runways at Bengaluru Airport
Two parallel asphalt runways run east to west. Runway 09L/27R and Runway 09R/27L each measure 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) by 45 metres. Both carry CAT IIIB instrument landing systems, valuable during the fog that settles on the plateau on winter mornings. The length comfortably handles the Airbus A380 and fully loaded 777s and 787s departing for Europe and North America.
The runways are far enough apart for independent parallel operations, and in 2021 the airport became the first in south India to run them that way. The prevailing wind favours the 09 direction for much of the year, switching to 27 during the southwest monsoon months from June to September.
Afternoon thunderstorms in the pre monsoon season of April and May cause the most disruption. A new western cross field taxiway is designed to cut taxi times between the runways and the terminals.
Terminals and Airlines
Terminal 1 is the original 2008 building, extended in 2013, and now handles domestic flights only. IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Alliance Air use it. IndiGo is by far the largest operator at Bengaluru Airport, with a dense schedule of Airbus A320neo and A321neo services to every major Indian city. The building is functional rather than memorable, but it works.
Terminal 2 is a different proposition. Designed by SOM as a terminal in a garden, it uses bamboo, hanging plants and natural light on a scale rarely seen in airports. All international flights use it, along with the domestic operations of Air India, Air India Express and Star Air. Foreign carriers include British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines.
Star Alliance is represented by Air India, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Ethiopian, while oneworld has British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. The 080 lounges in both terminals are among the better airport lounges in India. The cargo village houses the DHL and FedEx hubs.
Routes and Destinations
Domestic traffic drives the numbers. Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were the three busiest routes in the year to March 2025, with Hyderabad and Pune close behind. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa compete on all of them, and the Delhi corridor sees departures roughly every 15 minutes at peak times.
Internationally, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore lead the table at Bengaluru Airport, reflecting the Gulf carriers’ strength and the large Bengaluru community working in both regions. Air India flies nonstop to London Heathrow, and its San Francisco route, at roughly 8,700 miles (14,000 km), was among the longest from India until it ended in February 2026. Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways serve their European hubs, and Japan Airlines links Tokyo. The airport claims connections to every inhabited continent.
Seasonal patterns follow the Indian holidays and the wedding season, when domestic loads are heaviest. The long haul network has grown fastest since Terminal 2 opened.
Getting to and from Bengaluru Airport
The airport is a long way out, and road is still the main link. National Highway 44 runs south to the city, with a six lane flyover towards Hebbal that opened in 2014. Taxis and ride hailing apps charge roughly INR 1,000 to 1,500 (around £9 to £14) to the centre, and the journey takes 60 to 90 minutes in Bengaluru’s famous traffic. The airport runs its own prepaid taxi service.
The Vayu Vajra buses run by BMTC are the cheapest sensible option. Air conditioned coaches leave around the clock for Majestic, MG Road, Electronic City, Whitefield and other districts for a few hundred rupees. KSRTC Flybus coaches run directly to Mysuru and to Manipal via Mangaluru.
A railway halt on the airport boundary opened in 2021 with shuttle buses to the terminals, though services are limited. The Blue Line metro, under construction with two stations on the campus, is due to open in phases and will transform the journey. Multi storey car parks serve both terminals.
Spotting and Photography
Bengaluru Airport is friendlier to spotters than most Indian fields, though it has no official viewing area. The approach roads around the 09L and 09R thresholds on the western side offer low approach shots, and the elevated access road towards Terminal 2 gives a view across the apron. Other perimeter roads can work for departures, but access varies.
Light is good year round, with clear skies from October to March. Mornings favour the southern side of the field and afternoons the northern. Indian security rules on photographing airports are strict, so keep cameras discreet near the fence, stay on public roads and comply at once with any request from police or airport staff. The terminal windows in Terminal 2 are a safe alternative with a view of the Air India fleet.
What Comes Next
Expansion continues in phases. The second stage of Terminal 2 is under construction and will lift capacity well beyond the current 50 million or so passengers a year. Terminal 3 is planned for the late 2020s or early 2030s, though its site has not yet been chosen, and an automated people mover is also planned. An Air India maintenance base is under development and the Sampige suburban rail line is due by the end of 2027.
Bengaluru Airport has the land, the runways and the demand to keep growing for decades, which few Indian airports can say. See how it ranks against its peers on our Airports of the World map.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight.
Advertise with us Your brand, in front of an aviation audience Home page and in-article placements, sold directly, one advertiser per slot. From £250 a year. See the rates
