Bengaluru Airport Terminal Guide 2026: Which Airlines Use Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and How to Move Between Them
Bengaluru Airport has two terminals a few hundred metres apart, and since September 2023 the split between them is by airline, not by domestic versus international. Terminal 1 handles the domestic flights of IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air and SpiceJet; Terminal 2 handles every international flight and the domestic flights of Air India, Air India Express and Star Air, with a free shuttle between the two around the clock. Below is what each terminal is like, how to move between them, and how the hotels in this guide relate to each. Verified September 2026.
Terminal 1
The original 2008 terminal is now domestic only. Check-in and baggage reclaim are on the lower level and the gates are on both levels, with jet bridges at gates 1 and 2, 12 to 18 and 28 to 43 on the upper level and bus gates 3 to 9 and 19 to 25 below. IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air and SpiceJet fly from here, which makes it the busy terminal for the early-morning domestic bank to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. Security opens around 4 am and closes after the last departure, so it is not a 24-hour building in the way Terminal 2 is. The 080 Domestic Lounge is airside on level 2, there are 24-hour cafés on both sides of security, and the left-luggage counter in arrivals holds bags for up to five days. The Taj Bangalore is 300 metres from this terminal’s forecourt.
Terminal 2
The “terminal in a garden” opened for domestic flights in January 2023 and took over all international operations on 12 September 2023. Arrivals are on the ground floor and departures on the first, with 95 check-in counters, 17 security lanes, 9 baggage belts and 34 counter plus 6 e-gate immigration positions, under a roof of bamboo, hanging plants and water features that won it a string of architecture prizes. All international airlines use it, from Emirates and Singapore Airlines to Air India’s London flights, and Air India, Air India Express and Star Air use it for domestic flights too. Security runs 24 hours. The 080 International Lounge, the 080 Domestic Lounge and the Air India Maharaja Lounge are airside, the 080 Arrival Lounge is landside, and the 080 Transit Hotel is on the arrivals level, 100 metres from the belts.
Moving between the terminals
A free shuttle bus links the two forecourts every 10 to 20 minutes, 24 hours a day, and takes 3 to 5 minutes; follow the “Terminal Transfer” signs from either arrivals exit. The buildings are roughly 350 to 600 metres apart depending on which doors you use, so walking is realistic with hand luggage along the landside road, though the signed route is the bus. There is no airside link at all: a passenger arriving at Terminal 2 on an international flight and leaving from Terminal 1 on IndiGo clears immigration and customs, collects bags, crosses on the shuttle and checks in again, which takes 60 to 90 minutes end to end and is the connection to plan for. Terminal 2 arrivals to a Terminal 2 domestic departure on Air India is the easy version.
Check-in, security and immigration
The airport asks for two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, and at Terminal 2 the three hours are not padding: international departures cluster between midnight and 4 am, and immigration and security queues peak with them. DigiYatra, the face-recognition entry system, has lanes at both terminals for domestic passengers who enrol in the app in advance and skips the document checks at the door and at security. Self-service check-in kiosks and bag drop are available at Terminal 2 for several airlines. Free Wi-Fi runs for 45 minutes per device; vouchers for longer sessions come from kiosks in international arrivals.
Which terminal for which hotel
The 080 Transit Hotel is inside Terminal 2, so it suits Terminal 2 flights best and Terminal 1 flights with a shuttle ride added. The Taj Bangalore is a five-minute walk from Terminal 1 and 2.1 km, a shuttle on request, from Terminal 2. The Bloom Hotel and the Moxy are a cab ride from either terminal, 10 to 20 minutes, and cabs drop at whichever departures forecourt you name. The hotel transfers guide has the detail.
Tips
Read the terminal off your boarding pass or the airline app, not off the airline name; IndiGo and Air India both fly domestic and international, from different terminals. For an international-to-domestic connection on separate tickets, treat 3 hours as the minimum and 4 as comfortable. If you arrive at Terminal 2 at 3 am with a Terminal 1 flight at 7 am, the sleeping in the airport guide and the day rooms guide cover the choices; the transit hotel is on your side of the shuttle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which terminal does IndiGo use at Bengaluru Airport?
Both, which is the trap. IndiGo's domestic flights use Terminal 1; its international flights use Terminal 2, like every other international departure since September 2023. Check the terminal on your boarding pass rather than assuming from the airline.
Which airlines use Terminal 2 at Bengaluru?
All international airlines, whatever the carrier, plus Air India, Air India Express and Star Air for their domestic flights. Terminal 1 is domestic only: IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air and SpiceJet.
How do I get between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2?
A free shuttle bus runs between the terminals around the clock, every 10 to 20 minutes, and the ride takes 3 to 5 minutes. The buildings are a few hundred metres apart on the landside, so walking is possible with hand luggage. There is no airside connection: you cannot move between the terminals without leaving the secure area and clearing security again.
How early should I get to Bengaluru Airport?
The airport recommends two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one. Terminal 2 international departures cluster between midnight and 4 am, when immigration queues are longest; the DigiYatra face-recognition lanes at both terminals cut the entry and security queues for domestic passengers who have enrolled.
Information last verified: September 17, 2026
