BLR Airport plans to have a Virgin Hyperloop corridor that moves cargo, passengers

September 27, 2020; Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Hyperloop corridor from BLR Airport.

“BIAL aims to make BLR Airport a transportation hub that connects people and places together through various modes of transport. In addition to its well-established road network, BLR Airport will soon be connected with the suburban railway in a few weeks and have Metro connectivity in four years,” said the release.

Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and DP World, said “Beyond just the transit of passengers, airports are the crucial conduit for goods, especially time-sensitive deliveries. A hyperloop-connected airport would dramatically improve the delivery of cargo and create an ultra-efficient supply chain.”

The pre-feasibility study, which focuses on technical, economic and route feasibility, is expected to be completed in 2 phases of six months each. With speeds of up to 1,080 km ph, hyperloop could transport thousands of passengers per hour from BLR Airport to the city centre in under 10 minutes, according to the preliminary analysis.

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Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop, said, “A hyperloop-enabled airport would not only allow for faster travel times, but it would also create a 21st-century passenger experience and expand airport capacity. Imagine connecting Delhi-Mumbai in 55 minutes, Mumbai-Chennai in 50 minutes and Chennai-Bengaluru in just 20 minutes.”

Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL, said, “At BIAL, our vision is to make BLR Airport the new gateway to India by transforming it as a transportation hub. This mode of transportation offers an enormous economic potential, connecting passengers at unprecedented speeds, with zero emissions.”

The MoU was exchanged virtually between Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and DP World, and T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, IAS, chief secretary, the government of Karnataka and chairman of the board of directors at BIAL in the presence of Kapil Mohan, IAS, principal secretary, infrastructure development department, Karnataka.

In July 2019, the government of Maharashtra approved Virgin Hyperloop One - DP World Consortium as Original Project Proponent (OPP) for the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop Project.