Bengaluru airport's T2 leaks as heavy rains lash the city; 17 flights diverted to Chennai

A video of rainwater dripping from the roof near the baggage claim area has been circulating

The Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru faced another challenge on May 9 as heavy rain pounded the city, causing water leakage within the terminal building and multiple flights being diverted due to low visibility.

Rainwater was dripping from the roof near the baggage claim area of T2 following the rain.

"Rainwater began leaking from the roof, causing a puddle near the conveyor belt. The housekeeping staff cleared it to avoid inconvenience to passengers." an airport staff told Moneycontrol.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates, KIA, in a statement said: "A very heavy downpour of rain within a short span of time on the evening of May 9, 2024, resulted in water leakage in certain areas of the terminals at Bengaluru airport".

"Our teams promptly responded to the situation to mitigate the impact and restore normal operations. We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers". it adds.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) readings at 8:30am on May 10, the KIA station recorded 72.4 mm of rainfall, while Bengaluru City received 14 mm.

The T2 of KIA was built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 11, 2022. Known as a terminal in a garden, T2 was recognized as one of the 'world's most beautiful airports' by UNESCO's Prix Versailles 2023. The terminal, which commenced domestic operations on January 15, 2023, saw its first bout of water leakage just months after its inauguration. International flight operations at T2 began on September 12.

Also, read:  Bengaluru airport's newly-inaugurated Terminal 2 fails first rain test; water seeps in following showers

Flights diverted

As many as 17 Bengaluru-bound flights were diverted to Chennai due to heavy rains on Thursday night. A BIAL spokesperson said 13 domestic flights, three international passenger flights, and one international cargo flight were diverted.

"Heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds rendered the airport inaccessible for landings between 9:35pm and 10:30pm, leading to the diversion of flights," a BIAL spokesperson said.

The domestic flights diverted from Bengaluru to Chennai included four each of IndiGo (from Pune, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Madurai) and Air India Express (from Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ranchi), along with two Air India flights from Delhi and Hyderabad. Other affected domestic flights were: Vistara flight from Delhi, an Akasa Air flight from Pune, and a Star Air flight from Jamnagar.

The three international flights diverted from Bengaluru to Chennai were: Singapore Airlines (SQ 510), Etihad (EY 238) from Abu Dhabi and KLM flight (KL-879) from Amsterdam.

Many airport-bound passengers faced severe inconvenience due to water-logged roads on the evening of May 9. Traffic police officials said waterlogging was reported from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal flyover as well as Hunasamaranahalli. "Hunasamaranahalli (near IAF station) on airport Road is flooded. Heavy congestion due to slow-moving traffic on both sides... Commuters kindly cooperate... Commuters may expect a 30 to 40-minute delay to the airport," Bengaluru traffic police wrote in an advisory on X on May 9.

Also, read: From drought to deluge: Is Bengaluru ready for the monsoon?