BENGALURU | September 11, 2026 — Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has begun implementing the point merge system, an air navigation procedure designed to sequence arriving aircraft more efficiently and reduce congestion during approaches. An Akasa Air flight from Mumbai became the first aircraft to use the system on Wednesday, according to a report by The Times of India.
The system has been introduced through an initiative involving the Airports Authority of India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. It enables aircraft to follow published sequencing legs before air traffic controllers instruct them to proceed directly to a designated merge point once adequate spacing has been established.
The procedure is intended to reduce the need for repeated headings, speed adjustments and controller instructions as aircraft approach the airport. It is already operational at 59 airports in 23 countries, according to the report.
Akasa Air said on X that the system could make arrivals more predictable, reduce unnecessary flying time and communication, and lower fuel consumption and emissions. The airline described Bengaluru’s implementation as a step towards more organised arrival operations.
Trials at Bengaluru airport are expected to continue for three months before a wider rollout, the report said. Bangalore International Airport Ltd, which operates the airport, did not comment on the development.
Pilots quoted in the report said the system could improve operational consistency by reducing differences in individual air traffic controllers’ vectoring techniques. A more structured sequencing process may also reduce radio communication workload for pilots and controllers, while making it easier to accommodate priority or emergency aircraft.
The system is designed to allow inbound aircraft to maintain more efficient descent profiles, including continuous descent operations where conditions permit. Pilots said this could reduce airborne holding, fuel burn, engine operating time and associated maintenance exposure. The benefits would accumulate across the airport’s daily arrival schedule, although the report did not provide projected savings or delay-reduction figures.
The point merge system also aims to limit the effect of frequent wind-related sequencing adjustments by bringing arriving aircraft into the procedure from broadly similar directions. Instead of receiving repeated heading and speed instructions, aircraft follow a predefined sequencing leg and then receive a direct-to-merge-point instruction from air traffic control.
Bengaluru’s implementation comes as the airport tests a structured approach to managing inbound traffic within available airspace. The three-month trial will determine the next steps for the system’s rollout, according to the report.
