"Bengaluru airport clocked 25 million passengers in the calendar year 2017, registering 13 per cent annual growth, while air traffic grew 4.3 per cent," said operator Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), a consortium of public and private investors, in a statement.
The airport, on the city's northern outskirts at Devanahalli, is the country's third largest after New Delhi and Mumbai. The decade-old airport's departure and arrival terminals are used by 43 airlines, connecting 62 cities across the country and overseas.
"The airport also had the highest number - 87,815 - of passengers on December 23 landing or taking off on a single day, with record 603 air traffic movements in 24 hours," it said.
The airport also handled a whopping 339,461 tonnes of cargo last year, registering eight per cent annual growth over 2016.
"We have surpassed projected numbers and continue on a growth trajectory. Our airport has been rated as the fastest growing terminal globally by FlightGlobal, an international rating agency," said BIAL Chief Executive Hari Marar in the statement.
The airport witnessed growth across segments, including leisure travel.
"Passenger traffic was on upswing, with 21.31 million (213 lakh) domestic and 3.73 million (37 lakh) international passengers, a growth of 14.5 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively," noted the statement.
Of the total cargo, international freight grew 10.4 per cent and domestic 4.2 per cent annually from 2016.
"The airport also accounts for highest export of roses and mangoes from south India," said the statement, citing the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, part of the Commerce and Industry Ministry.
Four new routes were added last year including two in the domestic sector to Silchar in Assam and Udaipur in Rajasthan and two (Amsterdam and Bahrain) in the overseas sector.
As part of regional connectivity, the airport operates flights to Agatti Island in Lakshadweep, Belagavi and Hubli in northwest Karnataka, Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, Rajamundry in Andhra Pradesh and Thiruva-nanthapuram in Kerala.
DHL Aviation International Cargo and Malindo Air of Malaysia began operations during the year under review.
The country's first greenfield airport is operated by private promoters holding 74 per cent and 26 per cent by the state and the Central governments.
Among private investors Fairfax holds 48 per cent and Siemens Projects Ventures 24 per cent, while the Karnataka State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (KSSIDC) and the Airport Authority of India hold 13 per cent each.
(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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