Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) has crossed the milestone of handling a total of 40 crore (400 million) passengers from its inception until April 2026. The airport was launched on May 24, 2008.

In the financial year 2025-26, the airport managed 4.4 crore (44.47 million) passengers and 5.32 lakh metric tonnes of cargo. According to an official release, this growth is driven by a rise in international passenger numbers, stable domestic demand, and strengthened cargo operations, which have reinforced BLR Airport's position as a major global gateway to South India.

International traffic served as a key driver of this growth, surging by 23.9% to reach 7.23 million passengers. Meanwhile, domestic traffic grew by 3.3% to touch 37.24 million passengers. This contributed to an overall year-on-year increase of 6.2% in total passenger traffic.

The airport offers global connectivity with seamless flights to over 78 domestic and 34 international destinations. Operational performance also scaled up in alignment with traffic growth. A total of 2,80,800 air traffic movements were recorded during the year, marking a 4.5% year-on-year increase. The average daily movements stood at 769, with a single-day peak reaching 837 movements.

Cargo business witnesses 6% growth:

The cargo business at BLR Airport maintained steady growth, with cargo handling increasing by 6% year-on-year. This was supported by a strong network of 15 cargo airlines operating across 38 destinations.

It connects Bengaluru to major global hubs including Chicago, Singapore, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Demand was further boosted by agricultural equipment, pharmaceuticals, auto components, spare parts, electricals and electronics, and e-commerce.

The airport managed 60 million rose stems during the year, with volume increasing by 38% and tonnage rising by 64%. Mango exports grew by 12% to hit a 5-year high, while coriander volume registered a 13% year-on-year increase.