Bengaluru International Airport (IATA: BLR, ICAO: VOBL) is a international airport serving the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore), Karnataka, India. The airport is located 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Devanahalli and is 40 km (25 mi) from the central business district of Bengaluru (30 km (19 mi) from the Bangalore City Railway ) and covers 4,000 acres (1,600 ha). It replaced the old HAL Bangalore International Airport. Construction of the airport began in July 2005, after a decade long postponement. It was expected to be inaugurated on 30 March 2008 but due to delays in air traffic control (ATC) services, it started its operations on the night of 23 May 2008, just before midnight.
Future plans for the airport site envisage expansion of the terminal and runwaystax-free shops, entertainment centres, malls and office space.[citation needed] and generous commercial development, including business centres
Construction
The new airport was originally planned to accommodate 3.5 million passengers a year, but this was redesigned to handle 12 million passengers per year. The redesign resulted in an increase in the size of the terminal, number of aircraft stands, new taxiway layouts and supporting infrastructure.
A plan is also being processed for a direct rail service from Bangalore CantonmentNational Highway is being widened to a six lane expressway, with a ft (0.91 m) boundary wall, as construction moves ahead. Railway Station to the Basement Rail terminal at the airport. Access on the
A new expressway was planned to connect the airport to the city's Ring Road. The expressway, expected to be a tolled road, would begin at Hennur on the Outer Ring Road. However the state government, citing a study report of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has told the Karnataka High Court that the proposed super expressway connecting the Outer Ring Road and Bengaluru International Airport is not feasible. After many delays and confusions with the press, the airport was finally inaugurated on May 23 , 2008 when a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai landed here . Also , minutes later an Indian Airlines flight to Singapore left Bengaluru International Airport , making it the first ever take-off from the airport.
In 2008, Benguluru International Airport was the fourth Most Delayed Airport in the World in terms of arrival according to FlightStats sampling of the airport's flights, with only 60.16% on time arrivals.
