Questions for BIAL - your turn!

Since BIA promises rapid check-in (and check-out) due to its improved and stream-lined processes, can the reporting time be shortened with respect to flight departure? From what I understand, currently its 1 hour for domestic and 3 hours for international. If we can make it as 30 mins and 1.5 hours respectively, then it would be great and also it can ofset time taken to reach the airport.

When ever i saw the pictures or reports of BIAL, i used to wonder how many gates does BIAL support. A quality airport would support minimum of 20 gates (not sure just my guess).

Recollecting that the bangalore HAL airport supports only 2 gates where passengers can directly board theflight. Other gates are walkin gates, where people are ferried to the planes by busses etc...

Wondering how much does BIAL support, if it is less than 20, then it is your guess how good is BIAL??????

Hi Folks ! Greetings.

Count me in for the tour - my family (around 4-5 members) are also keen to see developments, etc.

Will revert soon with no. of persons.

Hope the tour happens on 6th April..I am currently Traveling. I really wish to attend that tour.

If not Is it possible to have it in batches. First batch on 30th and second 6th April

Thanks

Prasad

I suggest members make a small list about points they wish to discuss with the authorities before hand.

Ideally, given our special invite from BIAL, we should use this oppurtunity to appreciate the strengths of BIAL and offer constructive criticism about their weaknesses as well.

We can also, from the position as end user citizens, petition authorities in the Ministry of Civil Aviation et al, in order to provide an overall solution to the airport crisis of our city.

water for BIAL. Since Devanahalli is a severely water constrained area, what are the steps being taken by BIAL to recycle rain and gray water at the airport facilities and at allied facilities like airport hotel and airport city. have these systems been audited by an agency such as the TERI? Airport city. eventually, BIAL will get a rail link from the city. Apart from a stop at the terminal(s) will there be a stop that will allow people working/staying at the airport city to use the train? Landside traffic. we have been using pictures such as these to figure out the landside traffic movement. 1) is it possible for BIAL to publish schematic describing the flow of landside traffic that shows the flow and facilities? for example, access road to drop off/pick up -> drop off/pick up to airport exit via access road. pick up/drop flow and zones for those arriving/leaving the airport in buses. taxi lots, parking lots- zones and capacity/zone. pedestrian flow between the parking lot and terminal. and pedestrian flow between bus/taxi lots and the terminal. a schematic like that would help us and other users of BIAL in navigating through the airport. toufeeq@flickr 2) is the exit road the one immediately south of the parking lot, or the one further south of this road(next to airport hotel) 3) at how many points are passengers allowed to cross the roads in front of the terminal? are there systems to enforce that at only these points pedestrian crossing is possible? 4) will traffic wardens be employed at the land side to manage the flow? are arrival and departure traffic staggered on the same road or they on the two parallel roads in from of the terminal? 5) will this horizontal separation of arrival and passenger traffic be the norm for all future expansions? is it possible for future expansion to incorporate vertical separation in the new terminals?

Admin,

I refer to narayan82's mail - I am also available for any assistance that may be required - I have a lot of spare time, too.

Naveen

Another question I have is..How disabled friendly is the airport? The current HAL airport is a hopeless case in this.

Great news about the tentative date of 30th. How is the trip being planned?

 

Madhu_nr

i too was wondering why people are still being ferried to remote gates in buses. i too have seen that many small airports have more than 8 aerobridged gates. HIAL also has a similar number. why is it that? isn't this busing more energy intensive solution, over the long run? wouldn't a bigger terminal to support more bridges be cheaper in the long run? also are you saying that people will be bused directly between car/bus parking lots in front of the terminal to tarmac behind? that brings me another question. why such a big airport city? will airport the city restrict the ability of BIAL to expand beyond 40 mil & beyond 30 years of this concession? could a part of the city have been used to build a longer and bigger terminal in future? utlimately, what is the potential of BIAL? at what level will it max out? but this is a secondary question, 40 million is a lot of capacity. but still worth asking, i think. the main question is land side traffic, as bangalorean asked. the terminal is two level internally, but the land side has one level access. how efficient is this? and also since the existing masterplan says ultimately there will be a H shaped terminus, will it be possible to make the rest of the terminals have two level land side access? bcoz there is only access road and you have to pass through the current terminal before you can reach the other arms of the terminal

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I have been wondering about this from day one the plan was displayed. Why use busses to ferry passengers from gates to the aircraft.. The design should have been with concourses where in there is an internal commuter train (Also approachable by walkways) that takes passengers to the concourses and then board their respective aircrafts.

I am not sure how the H shape of the terminal will work because landside like TS said has only one approach road which will force everyone to pass the current terminal and then move on to the terminal that will be built in phase 2.

Though having a single large terminal with north and south wings is great and can handle even 100 mi Passengers eventually if they had designed the airport with concourses. It would have been a easy to execute expansion plans by adding more concourses between the 2 (or 4) runways.

 

Even Beijings new airport uses this design very efficient with a single large terminal. To compare BIAL I think it should have gone on the lines of Hartsfield International (Atlanta) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartsfield-Jackson_Atlanta_International_Airport

http://www.atlanta-airport.com/Default.asp?url=sublevels/terminal/termmap.htm

I think BIAL is more ergonomic - with 70,000 sqm it handles 11.5 mill/annum and HIAL is 125,000 for 12 million people/year. IDEA::: On Sunday the Vaayu Vajra busses are running to BIAL. BMTC is doing a free trip for anyone interetsed in sampling it. Can we club this with our meeting with BIAL? woudl be awesome!

that our BIAL trip will happen on one of these buses (mentioned by Narayan above). They are trying to arrange a pick up for us on a BIAL special Vajra bus at Cubbon Road on Apr 6th, but this is not confirmed yet. So if we are lucky, 20 of us will sample it all, the new bus, the roads, and the airport itself. Lets see.

I hope the tour takes place on 6th-April, as scheduled. Since there is a restriction of only 20, if this number is exceeded, can others go by car & join the others ?

 I have a query - the airport's capacity will be about 11 million pass/per annum at opening. This number will be insufficient within say, one or two years as news reports have suggested that there are almost 15 new carriers that are interested in operating out of BIAL, including several long haul flights to 'Frisco & other US destinations. Thus, it appears that steps to expand need to commence almost immediately after opening. What steps are being taken to minimize inconveniences to users ? & with the expansion, & increased no. of users, a rail link would become a necessity. Why is Monorail not being comsidered ?

 Scomi has launched a new Monorail system with increased capacity (over 6,000 passengers per hour at a headway of 6 minutes, which is enough for an airport capacity of about 35 million). Why are such options not being considered & why is an enormously expensive fast rail being considered ?

 Monorail installations costs are usually met by the company & since ridership is assured, financial risks will also be minimal.

It would be great if I get a chance to go. It was through this forum that i got into the skyscrapercity forum, and have been a regular member there for almost a year.

My questions to BIAL would be:

1. If the IAF declines to part with the land for the second runway, would there be a second runway at all. If yes, how long would it take to build it.

2. Would there be two level arrival/departure at new terminal, or would the terminal have almost the same design as the present one.

Request to other members: I wish I get a chance to go, but if I can't, please make sure to take lots of photographs.

Okay, saw the updated date later. Thanks. Other questions remain. Also some more:

• Will there be a meeting point area to receive arriving passengers? What is the fee for entry to such points?
• Is there a facility for ltime parking - for instance if I'm making a two day trip to Delhi, can I leave my car safely in such a place? what will be the charges?
• Do they have covered stairs - aircraft entry/exit where there are no aero-bridges - for monsoon?
• How big is the transit lounge and are there comfortable chairs to stretch out?
• Is the duty free shopping area accessible from the transit/arrival/departure areas (post security check)?
• Do they have visibility inside (through transparent glass separators) for receiving parties to see the arriving passengers? Many times there is a crowding at the arrival points due to the anxiety/eagerness of friends/relations to greet their arriving dear ones. Transparent panels would prevent this crowding and one sees no security hazard in such a facility.
• Can the departing passengers come out to the departure send-off points after check-in - Specially in international terminal? This is not allowed in the HAL airport and one sees no logic in this. In fact, crowding could be reduced if passengers can move out for a final cuppa with the relatives.
• Alternatively, will the non-passengers be allowed into the check-in departure areas if they have an entry ticket? This helps when elderly persons, first-timers, ladies with children or alone travel. Abroad, this is permitted in almost all airports.

BIAL had mentioned that they would errect a canopy over the car park - would like to know what stage this is, As its not seen in any picture. The main concern was if it rains and you parked your car in slot no. 1354 - you'll get wet by the time you reach the terminal!

TS where are the pics for scaffolds for the canopy? Plus if they build multilevel parking in front it will still not be enough for a growing airport. They will have to figure out some more parking areas outside the airport boundary wall and ferry passengers to the terminal like Park and Fly etc...