Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru and Vancouver International Airport have signed a sister airport agreement to strengthen operational, technology, cargo and air-service connections between Southern India and Western Canada.
The agreement covers seven areas of collaboration, including innovation aimed at improving airport operations through technology. The two airports will explore cooperation involving Vancouver airport’s Digital Twin, emerging digital tools and potential innovation pilot projects that could be jointly developed or tested by their teams.
The partnership also focuses on improving the movement of air cargo between Southern India and Canada, particularly for growing industries such as technology. The airports said the agreement includes a goal of developing direct air service between Bengaluru and Vancouver, but no direct route has been announced or confirmed as part of the signing.
“This agreement highlights the growing importance of the Canada–India corridor and the need for stronger collaboration across the aviation ecosystem to support passengers, cargo, and trade,” Albert van Veen, Vice-President of Innovation and Chief Information Officer at Vancouver International Airport, said in a statement.
Girish Nair, Chief Operating Officer of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said the partnership would create a framework for technology integration and operational improvement by benchmarking against global practices. The collaboration will focus on digital platforms, data-driven decision-making and process optimisation, he said.
A Digital Twin is a digital representation of a physical asset or system that can be used to monitor operations, test changes and support decision-making. The statement did not specify which airport functions would be included in any joint pilot project, or provide a timeline for implementation.
The agreement comes as both airports seek to deepen connections linked to trade, business and the movement of people between India and Canada. According to a joint statement, two-way trade between the countries was valued at more than $10.9 billion in 2025, with both governments working to increase volumes in the coming years.
The airports also pointed to the importance of the Canada–India passenger and business corridor. British Columbia is home to nearly 500,000 people of Indian origin, representing close to 10% of the province’s population, according to the statement. Bengaluru, meanwhile, has experienced population growth alongside the expansion of its technology sector and increasing business-to-business links with Western Canada and the western United States.
For Bengaluru, the agreement places KIA’s international role within a wider effort to connect airport operations with cargo demand, technology companies and international trade. Its immediate commitments are focused on cooperation between the two airport teams, while the development of direct passenger air service remains an objective identified by the partners rather than an operational announcement.
The next steps will involve the airports’ teams working on the identified areas of collaboration, including technology cooperation, cargo connectivity and the assessment of future air-service opportunities.
