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Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport here crossed the 400 million passenger milestone in April since commencing operations, as strong international traffic growth and cargo expansion helped drive overall performance in FY 2025–26, officials said on Saturday.

This was noted at the 134th Board Meeting of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), chaired by Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, while reviewing the key achievements, performance highlights, and developmental initiatives undertaken by Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) during FY 2025–26, they said.

According to an official statement, during FY 2025–26, BLR Airport handled 44.47 million passengers and 532,000 metric tonnes of cargo, reflecting strong and sustained momentum across both passenger and cargo segments.

Growth was driven by a significant surge in international passenger traffic, steady domestic demand, and strengthening cargo operations, it said.

According to officials, international traffic led the growth, rising 23.9 per cent to 7.23 million passengers, while domestic traffic grew 3.3 per cent to 37.24 million passengers, taking overall passenger traffic up 6.2 per cent year-on-year.

“This performance, despite geopolitical and sectoral headwinds, reflects Bengaluru’s increasing global relevance as a business and innovation hub. BLR Airport currently offers non-stop connectivity to more than 78 domestic and 34 international destinations,” the statement said.

It said operational performance scaled in line with traffic growth, with 280,800 air traffic movements recorded during the year, a 4.5 per cent year-on-year increase.

Average daily movements stood at 769, with a peak of 837 movements recorded in a single day. Passenger traffic also reached a record high, with 139,111 passengers handled in a single day, officials said.

Authorities said BLR Airport’s cargo business maintained steady growth, handling 532,000 metric tonnes, up 6 per cent year-on-year. The growth was supported by a strong network of 15 cargo airlines operating across 38 destinations, connecting Bengaluru to key global hubs, including Chicago, Singapore, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.

Demand was driven by a diverse mix of agri-perishables, pharmaceuticals, auto parts, spare parts, electrical and electronics goods, and e-commerce, it said.

They also noted that perishables continued to be a strong growth driver, with BLR Airport retaining its position as India’s leading gateway for perishable exports for the fifth consecutive year.

The airport handled approximately 60 million rose stems during the year, with volumes up 38 per cent and tonnage rising 64 per cent. Mango exports grew 12 per cent to a five-year high, while coriander volumes increased 13 per cent year-on-year.

During the year, BLR Airport received several recognitions, including the “Best Regional Airport in India and South Asia” award by Skytrax for the third consecutive year and the “Best Airport at Arrivals Globally” award at the ACI ASQ Awards for the fourth straight year.

The airport also improved its position in the Skytrax World Top 100 Airports rankings from 48th to 41st place and received Level 5 Customer Experience Accreditation and Level 3 Accessibility Accreditation from Airports Council International.

The Board also reviewed ongoing and future infrastructure and capacity expansion initiatives aimed at strengthening operational resilience and supporting Bengaluru’s long-term aviation growth trajectory.