Bengaluru Metro's Blue Line full opening is deferred to March 2028, delaying a direct metro link to Kempegowda International Airport. The 58.19 kilometre corridor will connect Silk Board Junction with the airport via KR Puram and Hebbal and the operator had earlier targeted December 2027. The revised timetable leaves the city awaiting completion of the entire route while some sections may open earlier. The Pink Line will open in stages, with the seven point five kilometre elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere on Bannerghatta Road expected in September. The minister said finishing works should conclude by the end of August, subject to a remaining railway approval for rolling stock expected within the next 10 days. The 13.75 kilometre underground stretch between Tavarekere and Nagawara is slated to open in March 2027 and trial runs from Jayadeva Hospital to MG Road have been requested for September. Staged targets have been set for Blue Line segments, with trial runs on the 19.75 kilometre Silk Board to KR Puram section targeted for October and trials on the Iblur to Silk Board section planned between December and January. Delays at Marathahalli and Silk Board have affected the timetable and at Silk Board the metro viaduct will be extended by about 413.8 metres above the current flyover to allow trains to reverse. The KR Puram to Nagawara section is anticipated to open by mid-2027 while the Nagawara to Hebbal airport stretch is now scheduled for September or October 2027. Hebbal has emerged as a significant bottleneck because the station will serve as an interchange with the proposed Orange Line and plans call for four elevated metro tracks at that location, requiring complex clearances along the Outer Ring Road. A section of the Yelahanka IAF to airport terminal route has also been delayed, with contractors seeking until March 2027 to finish the work. The overall project cost is estimated at Rs 120 billion and the authority has set March 2028 as the target for the entire Blue Line, though some parts may open in 2027.