Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the third-busiest airport in India, is set to receive a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower to manage the rapidly increasing passenger and aircraft movement.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has directed Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), the airport operator, to construct the new tower as part of its larger expansion vision. BIAL has already invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the design and development of this upgraded facility.
According to the tender document, the new tower will significantly enhance operational safety, strengthen emergency response, improve weather-related handling, increase awareness of obstacles, and ensure stronger contingency systems. KIA currently spans 4,009 acres and is equipped with two runways, taxiways, aprons, modern navigation systems, and an operational ATC tower.
To support its future growth targets, the airport operator is expanding both aeronautical and non-aeronautical infrastructure to handle 114 million passengers annually. While the existing ATC tower was built to manage full-capacity parallel runway operations, rising traffic demands have begun to limit its effectiveness. The new tower aims to ensure smooth, safe, and efficient air traffic management as Bengaluru continues to grow as a major aviation hub.
