Bengaluru airport to city center in 10 minutes? Virgin Hyperloop to conduct feasibility study

Bengaluru, September 28: In a bid to reduce the time-traveling between the airport and city center, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), and the US-based hyperloop technology leader Virgin Hyperloop signed a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Hyperloop corridor from BLR Airport.

 

 

 

The MOU was exchanged virtually between Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and DP World, and T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary of Karnataka and Chairman of the Board of Directors at BIAL in the presence of Kapil Mohan, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department.

 

The connectivity could reduce the travel time between the airport and the city center to 10 minutes. Besides the transit of passengers, airports are a conduit for goods, especially perishables. A hyperloop-connected airport will improve cargo delivery and create an efficient supply chain.

 

 

“We are honored to partner with Bangalore International Airport Limited to explore ways in which hyperloop can become a part of the solution to tackle congestion and support economic growth in Bengaluru,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. “Beyond just the transit of passengers, airports are a 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.”

 

TM Vijay Bhaskar, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka and Chairman of the Board of Directors, BIAL said "The Government of Karnataka has implemented several measures to improve the transport infrastructure of the State. The commissioning of a feasibility study for hyperloop connectivity from BLR Airport is another major step towards building the infrastructure required to define mobility for the future, enabling the efficient movement of people."

 

Hyperloop is a new transport mode under development to enable high-speed movement of hundreds of people and goods at a time in floating pods through tubes or tunnels above or below the ground. Meanwhile, Bengaluru airport announced that it would be connected to the suburban railway in a few weeks and have metro connectivity in four years.

 

Virgin Hyperloop is the only company in the world that has successfully tested hyperloop technology at scale, launching the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years. The company successfully operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes.