I passed through the airport 8 November 2008 arriving from Mumbai and then leaving again to Chennai on 12 November 2008, so I only saw the domestic portion of it. A pleasant experience - modern and efficient as you would expect of a new airport. No issues at all, everything well signposted etc... and not very crowded which was clearly different from BOM/MAA. Visitors have to pay to get inside so I guess that explains that. Airport is definitely VERY FAR from the city center - 55 minutes if the traffic is OK but it could take up to 2 hours if it's not.

Just to set the record straight. Bangalore now has two airports HAL and BIAL. HAL was the old one, which was essentially a defense airfield adapter for commercial operations. Facilities were rather poor and ground handling by govt agency Airport Authority of India (AAI) was pathetic.

But the new BIAL airport is a modern commercial airport, built in collaboration with Zurich Airport. It's opening on May 22, 2008. HAL airport would be closed once BIAL is opened.

This airport is very old. When I first arrived I noticed people coming into the plane to help unload some of the garbage. Half of them were wearing uniforms the other half were wearing their own personal clothing (To me it looked very unprofessional). When I walked out of the jet way (the most modern thing in the airport), I first noticed the spinning fans on the ceiling inside the airport. I missed the prepaid taxi therefore I paid $35 (probably paid a monthly wage for a taxi cab) for a 3-4 mile ride to my airport. I missed the information booth if there were any information booth. People are not very friendly at the airport; they just want to whisk you away so you can go and get out of their hair. Guess that is good if you have been there before...but for new people it is alarming how little help you can get around. Oh and the place you can change money is small and the attendant not very helpful. The airport is located very close to the city so that is a positive. When I left Bangalore the only stores that was available was a small store that had some stuff about Bangalore but I couldn't even find anything worth spending my last rupees. Forget about getting a seat to wait for your plane because there are not enough chairs. The security is really bad given that there is so much global terrorism. There is only one runway from what I saw so the plane had to go to the end and make a turn on the same runway in order to take off. The people in Bangalore are wonderful and friendly (guess not workers at the airport) and actually the Bangalore city is developing and you will find a lot of new modern buildings (malls, office buildings, etc). But it is a shame that you are greeted by this airport and that your last impression of India (at least for me) is this airport. Bangalore deserves a much better airport given that it is highly and quickly developing.

Bangalore International Airport, known as 'HAL Airport' is situated on Airport Road and well within the city- about 6 km from MG Road - the city centre. A not-so-busy airport with a little over 70 international and domestic flight landings everyday, this airport is divided into two terminals. Terminal I contains the Departure lounge for the Domestic Flights and Terminal II is for Arrival of Domestic Flights. International Terminal handles Departure and Arrival of International flights. The airport is a major hub in the South Zone for traveling and for the feeder routes. The worst things about Bangalore Airport in my opinion are:
1. Information
Don't even expect it. Imagine a great IT City of Bangalore without a computer network and information clueless people around to greet you when you are in need of help or information. People arriving from Overseas are flabbergasted by the way HAL Airport Authorities handle passengers without proper etiquette or wanted information. The airport lobby is filled with uncourteous low-class people or full of drivers hungry to loot someone.
There is no proper telephonic query system in place, nor any websites for that. No Internet information. No flight status. Nothing. It is highly passenger unfriendly. to say the least.
2. Infrastructure
If you are to receive a person, don't expect to get a place to sit. Not even a bench. If you have a child, be prepared for the hellish experience. Also get along a mosquito repellent if you happen to visit the airport at night.
3. Taxi
Apart from prepaid taxi (which is good), other taxis or auto-rickshaws will loot you. Be prepared if you are a new-comer.
4. City Bus Service
You will have to haul your luggage half a mile to access the nearest city service bus. There is no bus service from near the airport. No directions, no help.
5. Tourism
The help desk at the tourist counter is ill-equipped to provide tourist information, just like Karnataka Tourism headquarters itself.
6. We hope this will not happen when the new Bangalore International Airport opens in April 2008.

Everyone at the Bangalore airport is unfriendly. There are no measurements to handle peak hours; no helpline, no AC inside. I can't believe that this airport is able to survive so long. I hope after new international airport comes, this one will be closed for good.