Bengaluru airport is set to become India's first airport with a Multi-Modal Transport Hub (MMTH), offering hassle-free and seamless travel integration for passengers.
Once functional, the tech city will join the likes of Zürich and Heathrow, in having MMTH facilities. "MMTH is in its advanced stages of construction and is expected to be completed soon. Sections of the facility such as a temporary parking area and drop-off area have already been completed, and are ready for operationalisation," a spokesperson for Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), told Moneycontrol.
“MMTH will serve the current and future needs of passengers, and staff by hosting various modes of transport options under one roof, that include private car parking, taxi services, inter/intracity buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and will be connected to the Airport Terminals Metro station," the spokesperson said.
KIA caters to around 1.05 lakh passengers a day. Around 72 percent of passengers disperse through cars and taxis and the remaining 28 percent by buses.
According to BIAL, the MMTH hub will integrate bus and Metro stations, private car/taxi/cabs parking, a baggage sorting area and a retail area. In India, most airports are not integrated with multiple modes of transport. Chennai airport, for instance, has Metro and suburban stations in the vicinity as well as a multi-level car parking facility and a bus stop. However, they are not integrated under a single roof.
Metro station to be operational by 2026
While Phase 1 of MMTH is likely to be operational in a couple of months, Phase 2 and KIA terminals Metro station (KR Puram-Hebbal-KIA Metro corridor) is expected to start in 2026. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) had entered into an MoU with BIAL and the latter agreed to build two Metro stations on its premises: Airport City (at-grade station) and KIA terminals (partially underground).
The Metro rail connectivity to KIA is expected to help air passengers and staff, who travel around 40 km by road from the city, to reach the airport faster with the help of metro transit. Airport City Metro station will be located close to the first roundabout on the west to serve airport employees and workers. KIA Terminals Metro station, which will be located in the terminal forecourt area inside the MMTH, will serve passengers, visitors and employees working inside the terminal. The number of airport employees working at the airport is expected to increase from the existing around 25,000 to 1.1 lakh by 2033-2035.
Retail & F&B outlets
MMTH will also have retail, F&B and entertainment facilities. "The facilities are designed to give passengers a vibrant atmosphere that seamlessly blends retail, F&B and entertainment while celebrating the natural weather and cosmopolitan culture of Bengaluru. The MMTH is expected to enhance the efficiency of landside operations of the airport and improve the overall travel experience for passengers,” said the BIAL spokesperson.
Inter-city buses from the airport
BIAL is looking beyond airport passengers and hoping to draw inter-city private and KSRTC bus travellers as well. For instance, bus travellers headed to places like Tirupati and Hyderabad from Bengaluru can reach the airport by Metro (by 2026) and then take an intercity bus to their destination.
“On successful completion of the airport metro and suburban rail projects, the airport MMTH is expected to become a transit hub and act as a transport interchange junction between the Bengaluru city and Bengaluru rural business/ residential district,” said the spokesperson.
So how far is the MMTH from airport terminals?
MMTH will be located around 800 meters from Terminal 1 and 100 meters away from T2. BIAL will operate shuttle buses connecting MMTH to both T1 and T2. MMTH covers an area of approximately 1.39 lakh square metres, which includes parking as well as retail development space at the ground level. The airport terminal’s metro station will be connected to MMTH through a walkway.
Retail outlets will span across levels 1 & 0 (L1 & L0). levels B1, B1.5, and B2 are reserved for parking, including spaces for buses, while B3 will feature a future baggage tunnel connecting T1 & T2. L0 (north) will be for temporary parking and L0 (south) for app-based taxis.
What about suburban rail?
Currently, the KIA halt railway station is located in the northwest corner of the airport boundary. This is around 4.6 km from T1 and 5.6 km from T2. At present, BIAL provides free shuttle bus services to connect the station to T1 and T2. However, the proposed new Sampige suburban rail corridor (KSR Bengaluru – Yelahanka – Devanahalli) will be closer to the airport terminal.
“BIAL and Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Ltd are working together to bring the rail network closer to the terminal forecourt area and to develop an underground rail station that can cater to both terminals. If this plan and design materialises, then the proposed suburban railway station will be ideally located at less than 400 -500 metres from the MMTH,” said the spokesperson.
Dedicated parking for EVs
MMTH will have designated areas for parking various types of vehicles. It will cater to over 1,200 parking spaces, which will include spaces for private vehicles, vehicles for people with reduced mobility (PRM) and electric vehicles (EVs). Additionally, there will be a dedicated area that is allocated for buses and app-based taxis for pick up and drop off, BIAL said.
What should be done?
"It's a great idea provided private buses are allowed to use the facility because they are dynamic and higher in numbers," said mobility expert Ravi Gadepalli. "In Karnataka, for instance, there are around 50,000 private buses compared to 20,000 State Transport Undertaking buses," he said.
"On the success of MMTH, Gadepalli said, "One, there should be direct seamless access for passengers from the airport to other modes. Two, information integration of multiple modes. For instance, buses carrying passengers to the airport should have flight information, and at the airport, there should be unified information on buses /metro trains. Three, there should be an integrated ticketing facility like flight-plus-bus ticket and private travel portals should be allowed to handle it."
Presently, Gadepalli said, no Indian airport has multi-modal integration facilities. "Heathrow airport in London is one of the best in this regard, with multiple Metro lines for passengers from the airport. Similarly, Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and Hong Kong airport are also well integrated."
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