Staff at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru responded quickly to a major leak that occurred on Thursday night after rainwater began seeping through the ceiling in one part of the airport. Staff were forced to cordon off the area and began clearing the water away.
While the city has witnessed similar scenes in metro stations, this appears to be the first time such an incident has occurred at the airport.
In an official statement, Bangalore International Airport Limited said, “Due to excessive rains in the Bengaluru Airport area, some water percolated through the external wall into the terminal building. The breach was identified and the area has subsequently been repaired and cleaned.”
A short viral video of Thursday’s incident shows water pouring from the ceiling and two men moping the area. Visuals suggest that the waiting area near Boarding Gate 9 had been affected.
@HardeepSPuri - this is bangalore airport -domestic terminal where it is raining inside the terminal.. seriously we need deserve better pic.twitter.com/4RPmowXTxG
— Anurag Gupta (@gupt_anurag) August 29, 2019
In the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday, the weather station in the Kempegowda International Airport received 60.6 mm rainfall. However, the seasonal cumulative difference was only recorded at a 2% deficit till date.
Earlier in March, KIA became the first airport in the world to clinch the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Awards for both Arrivals and Departures. In 2017, the airport had been adjudged the ‘Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia’ by Skytrax.
The airport is currently the busiest in south India and the third-largest in the country. Currently, it is undergoing a Rs 13,000 crore expansion project which includes a new terminal, widening of roads, metro access and cargo bays.
The authorities announced earlier this week that a new runway equipped for foggy conditions (Code F and Cat IIIB compliant) would soon be operational. The new runway is slated to begin operating on December 5.