Bengaluru airport's Terminal 2 to commence international operations from Aug 31
Bengaluru: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru's (BLR Airport) Terminal 2 (T2) is set to commence its international operations, with the first flight scheduled on August 31. Passengers travelling on Singapore Airlines flight SQ508/SQ509 between Singapore and Bengaluru will be the first to experience the international zone of the new terminal, a BIAL statement said on Wednesday.
IndiGo will be the first Indian carrier to start international operations in T2, with its flight 6E1167 to Colombo. All international flights departing and arriving from 10.45 hours onwards on August 31 will transition from T1 and start operating from T2, marking a significant milestone for BLR Airport. Terminal 2 will facilitate 30 to 35 daily international departures on 27 airlines (25 International and 2 Indian).
MD & CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), Hari Marar, said: “The commencement of international operations at Terminal 2 represents a major milestone for BLR Airport. With this move, international operations will be exclusive to T2, while our domestic operations will be divided between T1 and T2".
Passengers arriving at T2 can expect easy transfers, and streamlined immigration and customs procedures, the statement said.
To enhance accessibility to T2, an additional 4.4 KM-long access road called the 'Terminal Boulevard' was inaugurated earlier this year, it said. This road connects to T2 departures and arrivals, providing a comfortable drive without any traffic signals. Complimentary shuttle services are also available at regular intervals between T1 and T2 for passenger convenience. Located on the eastern side of Terminal-1, T2 spans 255,661 square metres of area and is equipped to handle 25 million passengers annually.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
