By integrating eco-friendly practices with technology, we have created a facility that addresses rising demand for domestic cargo. The new DCT reflects our commitment to sustainable growth. This facility will bring us closer to realising our vision of becoming a premier air cargo hub, says Satyaki Raghunath, COO, BIAL.
Ritika Arora Bhola
BIAL collaborated with Menzies Aviation Bengaluru Pvt Ltd to set up this newly constructed DCT. It took more than two years to conceptualise it. The idea was to make sure that we prioritise domestic cargo as well, because I think for a long time, international cargo has always been the priority, said Satyaki Raghunath, COO, BIAL.
Growth story
Domestic cargo over the course of the past few years, especially post-pandemic, has taken on a new role and gained prominence. BIAL has Fairfax as the principal private shareholder with 74 per cent and 26 per cent shareholding that is held between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of India. We are the only airport in India, besides Delhi, to have an independent parallel runway. We have two runways, and we were the first greenfield airport in India, at least at this part of the country. We have a capacity of 715,000 metric tonnes (MT), and in CY 2024, we handled around 500,000 MT of air cargo. We expect to end this year at more than 500,000 MT, he added. We now have direct non-stop connectivity to over 100 destinations, 75 domestic and 31 global destinations. We have 38 passenger carriers who directly serve Bengaluru, and 12 cargo airlines, which serve Bangalore Airport.
We are tripling in cargo capacity and size once in about a decade. When we started off this airport, we had 130,000 MT. When we celebrated our 10th anniversary, we had 350,000 MT. This year, we are sure to breach 500,000 MT of cargo mark. By the end of this decade, we will be close to a million MT, he hoped.
Rising domestic cargo flow
We are happy with the launch of the new DCT at BIAL. It is the first time we have got such a large DCT at any Indian airport. The facility is spread over an area of seven acres. It is 245,000 square feet and has a capacity of between 360,000 MT and expandable to 400,000 MT annually. We hope that this will change the way domestic cargo is perceived at Indian airports. We believe that it is a great way for the domestic cargo market to grow.
Current situation at BIAL
We are the largest cargo player in South India. We have got about 43 per cent of the market share there. The idea is to consolidate, help grow that market and make sure that we continue to be the preferred choice as far as cargo in South India is concerned.
More freighters
It would be great to have more freighters, but I think the market will dictate that. And based on the demand and growth, I think the Indian carriers will get into that business as well. Amazon has its dedicated freighter, DHL has it too. We have QuickJet Cargo and IndiGo Cargo, which have made a few conversions of their passenger aircraft already. I think that sort of trend will continue over the course of the next few years as the market grows.
