| Anantha Krishnan M. | Aviation Week |
| Yelahanka | Bangalore | India | Feb. 4 |
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is getting a new president of operations in March. Hari Marar, currently director (operations), is taking over the key position at a time when the airport is completing three years of operations. The Terminal 1 expansion is also set to take off in the next few months. “My priority will be to improve the connectivity from Bangalore to more destinations in the coming months. I am inspired to hear that IndiGo and SpiceJet are increasing their fleets, which would aid my dream of making Bangalore airport the aviation hub in South India,” BAIL’s president-elect tells Aviation Week in the India Thought Leaders (ITL) interview series.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is getting a new president of operations in March. Hari Marar, currently director (operations), is taking over the key position at a time when the airport is completing three years of operations. The Terminal 1 expansion is also set to take off in the next few months. “My priority will be to improve the connectivity from Bangalore to more destinations in the coming months. I am inspired to hear that IndiGo and SpiceJet are increasing their fleets, which would aid my dream of making Bangalore airport the aviation hub in South India,” BAIL’s president-elect tells Aviation Week in the India Thought Leaders (ITL) interview series.AW: Did you expect this key position? Or was it a surprise to you? Now that it has come to you, how important is this role?
HM: Trust me, I wasn’t anticipating it. I am humbled and it shows the kind of confidence and trust the management has in me. It is a very powerful position and with it comes added responsibilities and greater challenges. To me, the overall development of the airport and the subsequent results would translate down to the region, the state and finally the country. My role is important as I feel an airport is a catalyst for economic growth.
AW: Your role as President Operations has come on the eve of the airport completing 3 years. How do you rate the airport’s performance? There has been a remarkable passenger growth at Bangalore International Airport, making it the fastest growing airport in the country. How have you achieved this success?
HM: The most important thing is the overall operational efficiency of the airport. The success of the new Bangalore airport is mainly due to the favorable environment created by all the stakeholders. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate Bangalore 8/10. Here again, the contribution of Marcel (Hungerbuehler, the outgoing president) is very significant. His expertise [of] close to four decades in aviation industry has given a huge impetus to the Bangalore airport. He has set the standard and I will have to carry it forward and further it.
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