The agreement marks a significant milestone in the Indian aviation industry. Air India (along with other Tata Group airlines—AIX and Vistara) and Bangalore International Airport Limited will collaborate to enhance international connectivity and operational efficiency.
CT Bureau
Air India and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have entered into an agreement to develop Bengaluru as a premier aviation hub in Southern India. The aim is to boost air connectivity to and from India over the next few years. As part of this initiative, Air India has signed a MoU with the Government of Karnataka to establish comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities at the BLR airport. This underscores Air India’s commitment to strengthen its presence in Bengaluru and over the time, expand its international footprint to meet the growing demands for direct long-haul routes originating from Southern part of India. This partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the state.
Air India (along with other Tata Group airlines – AIX and Vistara) and BIAL will collaborate to enhance international linkage and operational efficiency over the next five years. This includes strengthening the group’s presence at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB or BLR airport) through an enhanced network and establishing a dedicated domestic lounge for premium and frequent travellers of Tata Group airlines the Air India and Vistara.
“Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience, while Bengaluru is attractive as an origin and destination market and a connecting hub. We are delighted to strengthen our ties with BIAL to develop a presence at the airport, expanding air linkage and building a major MRO center. This pacft is a milestone in the transformation of Air India,” Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, said.
“BLR Airport is dedicated to fortify its position as the global gateway in Southern and Central India. This collaboration aligns perfectly with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry’s vision of developing the airports as hubs, reflecting our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience. Given that over half of the global outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment head to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a leap towards this goal. We aim to capture a significant share of long-haul routes from BLR Airport over the next five years,” Hari Marar, MD and CEO, BIAL, said.
