Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru and Vancouver International Airport have signed a sister airport agreement to strengthen aviation, technology, cargo and trade links between southern India and western Canada, officials said on Friday. The partnership also establishes a framework to explore direct air services between Bengaluru and Vancouver.
The memorandum of understanding was formalised at Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport in the presence of Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s High Commissioner to India Christopher Cooter, Consul General of Canada in Bengaluru Ryan Ward and senior representatives of both airports.
According to Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which operates Kempegowda International Airport, the agreement covers seven areas of collaboration. These include the use of technology and innovation to improve airport operations, exchanges on digital systems and cooperation to support passengers, cargo and trade.
One of the key areas will be Vancouver International Airport’s Digital Twin. Teams from the two airports will explore emerging tools and potential pilot projects that could be jointly developed or tested. The collaboration is also expected to cover data-driven decision-making, process optimisation, smart airport technologies, sustainable operations and terminal performance management.
The agreement does not announce the launch of a direct Bengaluru-Vancouver flight. Instead, it sets out a framework to work towards establishing direct air services between the two cities. Canada’s trade minister said the arrangement lays the groundwork for a direct connection to what he described as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
The proposed aviation link is also intended to support air cargo movement between southern India and Canada, particularly for technology-related industries in both regions. BIAL said two-way trade between Canada and India was valued at more than USD 10.9 billion in 2025, while both governments are working to increase trade volumes.
At Vancouver International Airport, air cargo volumes grew by 7.4 per cent in 2025, Sidhu said. He added that stronger air links could support trade, investment and people-to-people connections between the two countries.
The partnership reflects the expanding economic relationship between Bengaluru’s technology sector and western Canada. BIAL said British Columbia, where Vancouver International Airport is located, is home to nearly 500,000 people of Indian origin, representing close to 10 per cent of the province’s population. Bengaluru has also experienced rapid population growth alongside the expansion of its technology industry and business ties with western Canada and the western United States.
Albert van Veen, vice-president of innovation and chief information officer at Vancouver International Airport, said the agreement would help both airports explore ways to improve passenger journeys, operational efficiency and resilience. BIAL chief operating officer Girish Nair said the teams would exchange models in smart airport technologies, sustainable operations and terminal performance management.
The next steps will involve cooperation between the two airport teams on technology integration, operational practices, cargo movement and the feasibility of direct air services. The agreement’s implementation will determine whether the proposed collaboration develops into concrete pilot projects, new air routes and expanded trade connectivity.
