A history of 'Firsts'
As a pioneer of change in Indian aviation, Bengaluru International Airport has the distinction of being the first airport in India, to be constructed through a public-private partnership. Built and operated along the highest international standards, Bengaluru International Airport is set to become India's leading travel destination known for its quality and efficiency. Takin
g off on an exciting note
A long and exciting journey began for Bengaluru International Airport with the signing of a concession agreement in July 2004 between the Government of India and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). Land allocation, acquisition, signing shareholder agreements, and finally commencing construction took almost a decade. Our venture started at a crucial juncture in the Indian aviation history. Privatisation of airports was a keenly awaited and watched move. So, as the first public private partnership airport in the country, we decided to set the right precedents. We had to carefully architect and finalise our legal framework – the concession agreement, CNS/ ATM agreement, and other documents. Today our robust, well-defined legal framework has guided other greenfield airport contracts. Our initiative has transformed perceptions about airports and how they are built and run. Around this time, the aviation industry promised tremendous growth. Indian economy was on the upswing and Karnataka's growth seemed even higher than the national average. Domestic players could commission more private airlines and more foreign airlines could fly into the country. Since traffic volumes anticipated in the first year of operation were reached during construction stage the scope of project was significantly increased without changing the initial airport opening date. We saw our vision being translated into reality when the first phase of the airport was thrown open for operations on May 24, 2008.
