Deve Gowda seeks Centre’s nod for second airport in Bengaluru amid Tamil Nadu’s push for one in Hosur

Gowda said, “The Karnataka government has already proposed the construction of another airport and has discussed the matter with the minister. The situation has reached an advanced stage… I am not opposing what Tamil Nadu is saying, but there is a challenge that needs to be addressed. We must carefully consider how to resolve this issue.”

He added that Karnataka’s plan to build an additional airport should also be taken into account, given the growing demand for air connectivity. “The existing international airport which I sanctioned is struggling to cope with the increasing passenger traffic, and Karnataka is actively considering solutions to meet this demand,” he said.

Responding to the request, Naidu said, “Bengaluru airport is getting saturated and busier day by day. There are talks of a second Bengaluru airport. As and when the site gets decided and comes to us for site clearance, we will take it forward.”

Thambidurai had raised concerns over the growing air traffic congestion at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru due to which flights are being diverted to Chennai in times of fuel emergency. He stated that while the demand for an international airport in Hosur is growing, a clause in the concessional agreement prohibiting the construction of another airport within a 150-km radius of Bengaluru airport until 2033 is a challenge. He also requested the Centre to ‘cancel’ this agreement which is hindering the establishment of a new airport in Hosur.

Naidu, in his reply, stated that the establishment of a new airport in Hosur can be done only with an active stakeholder discussion involving the Karnataka government, Tamil Nadu government and the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). “The central government has been assisting in this effort but one of the key challenges is the 150-km radius restriction from Bengaluru airport, which makes the situation more tricky,” he said.

According to M B Patil, Karnataka’s Minister for Infrastructure Development, five sites have been shortlisted for the second Bengaluru airport, including Dabaspet, Nelamangala, Bidadi, Harohalli and another new location.

Kempegowda airport is projected to reach its maximum passenger-handling capacity by 2033 and its full cargo-handling capacity by 2040. With the city’s rapid growth and increasing air traffic, a second airport is seen as a necessary step to avoid future overcrowding and delays. Meanwhile, the concessional agreement between BIAL and the civil aviation ministry mandates that no new or existing airport shall be permitted by the Government of India to be developed as, or improved or upgraded into, an international airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of the airport before the 25th anniversary of the airport which would be in 2033.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had earlier stated that the new airport must meet international standards and serve as a world-class facility. He cautioned against building a second airport solely to compete with Tamil Nadu’s planned facility in Hosur, which is located near Bengaluru. “We must create an airport with global standards, spread across 5,000 acres of land,” he reportedly said.