IndiGo flight cancellations hit BMTC hard: Airport bus services suffer ₹50-60 lakh loss

A steep drop in airport-bound passengers following IndiGo’s flight disruptions has caused major losses for BMTC, leaving several Vayu Vajra buses running with almost no travellers.

The ongoing disruptions in IndiGo flights have created an unexpected dent in the revenue of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), particularly affecting its Vayu Vajra airport services. Since the airline’s operational issues began on December 1, BMTC has been witnessing a sharp fall in the number of passengers travelling to Kempegowda International Airport.

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Every day, BMTC operates 156 Vayu Vajra buses from different parts of Bengaluru to the airport, completing nearly 1,000 trips. However, the sudden reduction in air travellers has led to unusually low occupancy. In several instances, one bus is seen carrying the few passengers available, while the next runs completely empty. Officials noted that the present ridership is significantly lower compared to earlier weeks.

The impact on BMTC’s finances has been severe. With an estimated 2,000 fewer passengers travelling daily due to the flight cancellations, the corporation is losing around ₹7-8 lakh each day. This has translated into a weekly loss of nearly ₹50-60 lakh, an alarming figure for a service that normally sees steady demand from airport-bound commuters.

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Despite the fall in numbers, BMTC continues to operate all scheduled airport buses to avoid inconvenience to passengers who still rely on these services. But the repeated “empty runs” highlight how sensitive public transport revenues can be to disruptions in other sectors, especially aviation.

While normal operations are expected to resume once IndiGo stabilises its flight schedules, BMTC’s airport services continue to feel the ripple effects, with daily losses still being reported.

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