Bengaluru airport opens crew-only terminal

BENGALURU: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has introduced a crew-only terminal dedicated for airline staff.
A press release from Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) on Wednesday claimed that KIA is also the first airport in the country to set up a dedicated terminal for airline crew.

"Located in close proximity to the airline offices, the crew terminal seeks to decongest the main terminal as well as provide crew easy access in and out of the airport," said the statement.

"With the new crew-only terminal, airline crew will no longer have to encounter queues at security check-points at the main terminal as the facility will provide hassle-free entry to the airside," it said.

The facility, which will be operational round the clock, is expected to help crew complete security checks in less time before proceeding to the aircraft. This is aimed at further reducing waiting period for passengers during security checks at the main terminal.

Every day, an average of 350 -400 crew members depart through the new facility and the number is expected to touch over 500-600 in the coming days.

"Currently the terminal will only cater to domestic departing crew while international crew will continue to use the main terminal to complete their mandatory immigration and regulatory formalities", the statement adds.

BIAL Chief Operating Officer Javed Malik said, "BIAL has been a pioneer in airport innovation and the introduction of the crew terminal is testimony to that spirit of innovation. We are always looking for ways to improve the stakeholder experience at our airport".

With over 90,000 passengers and over 600 aircraft movements every day, KIA is the third busiest airport in India.