Starting May, passengers heading to or from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) can travel in electric air-conditioned (AC) buses, marking a green shift in city airport transport.

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is finalizing a charging hub within the KIA campus, near Terminal 2. This opportunity charging facility, located 1 km from the terminal, can service up to three buses at a time, offering 45-minute top-up sessions throughout the day.

So far, 58 AC e-buses have been delivered by Ohm Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, under a 320-bus Gross Cost Contract funded by ₹150 crore from the Karnataka government. Each bus runs up to 200 km per full charge, with full charging taking around 60-70 minutes. The buses will operate 225 km daily for 350 days a year over 12 years under the lease terms.

Currently, the buses are operating from Kadugodi Bus Station to Banashankari, Majestic, Central Silk Board, and Hoskote to Attibele. Additional charging depots are being readied at Subhashnagar, Kathriguppe, and HSR Layout.

Though the rollout has begun, BMTC’s Chief Traffic Manager GT Prabhakara Reddy acknowledged some glitches — jerky braking and sluggish driver onboarding by the manufacturer.

The move aims to replace the aging Volvo fleet, which has become financially unsustainable. E-buses cost Rs 65.8/km to lease, much cheaper than the Rs 84-90/km operational costs of existing Volvo Vajra and Vayu Vajra buses.

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