Kempegowda International Airport (also known as Bengaluru Airport or BLR) serves India’s tech capital and handles 41.88 million passengers a year. It achieved Net Energy Neutral status recently through a combination of on-site solar installations and power purchase agreements for solar and wind energy.
What sets it apart is Terminal 2, which has one of the most impressive and pleasant airport terminals in all of India. It’s so nice that it could be worth picking your airline based on whether it flies out of that terminal or not.
Getting to and from the airport
Bengaluru city is approximately 35–40 kilometres from the airport, but it’ll generally take 45 to 90 minutes to get there depending on traffic conditions. Bengaluru is known for its traffic in a country where traffic is the norm, so that tells you something.
Public transport is available via Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) airport buses, but these will take even longer, typically 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on the route and traffic. It’s best to allow plenty of time to get to or from BLR.
Taxis
Most travellers here will be taking some form of taxi to and from the airport. There are a number of options, but in my opinion the two best are Uber and the BLR Pulse app. Uber works just like it does anywhere, except in India you’ll use a ‘PIN Dispatch’ system where you request a ride in the app to receive a 6-digit PIN, join the queue at the Uber Zone, and provide the PIN to the first available driver to start the trip.
The BLR Pulse app is the airport’s official app that gives you real-time updates and information about getting around the airport.
Terminal layout
Bengaluru has two terminals. Terminal 1 handles exclusively domestic flights and is the older of the two. A refurbishment is set to commence soon to convert former international areas into domestic zones and upgrade baggage and security facilities, raising capacity to around 35 million passengers annually.
Terminal 2 handles all international flights, plus some domestic routes. Both terminals have a straightforward layout, with a main check-in concourse giving way to a series of gates – and no satellite terminals or lengthy walks to contend with.
Terminal 2 is a stunning piece of architecture that makes liberal use of greenery and waterfalls and creates a calming environment. It’s also relatively uncrowded. Staff roam the halls wearing T-shirts that say ‘How can I help you?’ It puts many major European airports to shame.
Checking in is a breeze in the light-filled central concourse, and then you’ll either head through international security and passport control or domestic security to your gates. Everything is clear and well-signposted. All international flights depart from here, plus some domestic.
Security
Although the security checks at Bengaluru are reasonably efficient, especially in Terminal 2, keep in mind that India does airport security with a lot more attention to detail than most other places. That means you’ll need to take anything even remotely electronic out of your bags, including things like chargers.
The security process is thorough. It’s good to be aware of this going in and to not be in a rush.
Connecting and transferring between terminals
For getting between terminals, the only option is to exit to the street in front of your terminal and catch one of the free shuttle buses that run frequently between the two.
Keep in mind that even for connections within the same terminal, there is no way to stay in the secure area to catch your next flight. You’ll need to go through security again for the next leg. However, unlike most Indian airports, Bengaluru Terminal 2 does at least have a transfers channel that leaves you in the check-in area of the terminal, rather than in the arrivals area which would require an extra step of going outside and upstairs again.
Destinations and airlines at BLR
Bengaluru hosts all the big Indian carriers, including Air India (which recently completed its merger with Vistara), IndiGo, Air India Express, and smaller carriers Akasa and Star Air. Together they serve just about any Indian airport imaginable, and if not, you’re at most one connection away from any others.
There is quite a lot of service on the international side as well, with Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, KLM, Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and more using this airport. It is extremely well connected, in other words.
If you’re travelling domestically, Terminal 2 handles domestic flights by Air India and Star Air. Terminal 1 handles all the rest, including IndiGo (the largest carrier), as well as Akasa. I would personally pay a premium to fly Air India and use Terminal 2 over saving money and using T1. Though, I may be unusually picky in this regard.
Shops & restaurants
Bengaluru Terminal 2 has an especially impressive range of shops, restaurants, and cafés in the area just after security, as well as set back from some of the gates. You’ll find everything from Starbucks to P.F. Chang’s and more local dining options. London toy shop institution Hamleys is here as well.
The best place to find a coffee or a chai (tea) at BLR is actually in the check-in area of Terminal 2, where you can head to Chaayos, my favourite chai chain, or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, an excellent coffee chain which has better iced coffees than Starbucks in my opinion. Unfortunately, these are both before security, so you’ll have to enjoy your drink before proceeding through. However, the check-in hall is a very pleasant place to sit and relax (something that’s almost never true of airports), so I can recommend the pit-stop if you have time.
Lounges
You’ll find several lounges with the name ‘080’ throughout Bengaluru Airport. Terminal 2 has the 080 Domestic Lounge and the 080 International Lounge, as well as an 080 Arrival Lounge. Terminal 1 features two 080 Domestic Lounges, located on Level 1 (near Gate 34) and Level 2. In Terminal 2, the lounge is very impressive, a continuation of the remarkable design of the rest of the terminal.
Note that certain areas of the lounge, including the bar, charge for things like alcoholic drinks. But this is a very nice space to spend your time in, and even the Terminal 1 outposts are pleasant as well.
Wi-Fi
Bengaluru’s Wi-Fi can be challenging to access for international travellers without a local phone number. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
What to do during a stopover
If you’re stuck at BLR between flights, you have a few options depending on how much time you have. Trying to go to the city only makes sense if you have at least seven hours of transfer time, and even then it may not be worth it considering you could spend more than half of that time sitting in traffic heading to and from the city.
There are things to do closer to the airport, however. One option is the Devanahalli Fort, which is about a 20-minute drive to the north. Built in 1501, it has some interesting temples on the inside.
Airport hotels
There are a number of airport hotels around Bengaluru Airport, including international chain brands. The Moxy Bengaluru Airport Prestige Tech Cloud is located approximately 4–6 miles from the airport. Note that while there are Holiday Inn properties in Bengaluru, they’re located roughly 19–25 miles from the airport in the city rather than in the immediate airport vicinity. A number of hotels are of decent quality and price but will require a shuttle bus or quick taxi ride to reach.
Within the airport complex itself is the Taj Bangalore, which commands great runway views (from certain rooms) but which costs quite a bit more than all the other surrounding hotels. It’s more convenient, however.
Finally, there’s the 080 Transit Hotel, run by the same team as the lounges. It operates in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. This can be an especially good option if you have a long stopover but not a full night, as you can check in and out at any time of day with 24/7 check-in and flexible hourly stay packages, and you pay only for the time you use.
What’s coming in the future?
BLR Airport has big plans. First up is the refurbishment of Terminal 1, set to commence soon to convert former international areas into domestic zones and upgrade baggage and security facilities, increasing capacity to about 35 million passengers annually. Then there’s a Phase 2 expansion of Terminal 2 planned for completion in the coming years, adding roughly 200,000 to 278,000 square metres of space and increasing capacity by about 20 million passengers annually. Finally, a new Terminal 3 is also planned for the future to increase total airport capacity to approximately 90–100 million passengers annually. Alongside all of this, an automated ‘people mover’ (APM) rail system is planned to connect Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the future Terminal 3, replacing the current shuttle bus service.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
