News Brief
Karnataka Eyes South Bengaluru For Second Airport As Tamil Nadu's Hosur Project Spurs Urgency: Report
The Bengaluru airport.
Karnataka is leaning towards establishing Bengaluru’s second international airport in the southern part of the city, particularly along the Kanakapura Road and Bannerghatta Road corridors, according to a Times of India report.
This comes after the Airports Authority of India (AAI) flagged key challenges at all three proposed sites of Chudahalli, Somanahalli, and Nelamangala.
The south Bengaluru option is emerging as the most viable due to stronger connectivity and existing infrastructure.
The state’s decision-making has also been influenced by Tamil Nadu’s plans to build a new airport in Hosur, which is strategically positioned to attract air passengers from southern Bengaluru.
Tamil Nadu's Hosur airport plan has reportedly added a sense of urgency to Karnataka’s plans.
With Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) already handling traffic beyond its designed capacity, the state government believes a second airport is essential to meet future demand, expected to double in the next decade.
An official from the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) explained that travel data supports the case for a southern location.
“This effectively suggests that south Bengaluru needs the second airport, failing which the passengers from those areas will look at Hosur as an alternative destination,” the official was quoted as saying by ToI.
Infrastructure Minister MB Patil, however, emphasised that the final decision would be made only after a detailed technical evaluation.
“All the three sites will be considered for a techno-feasibility study by a prominent consultant. We will be presenting a strong pre-qualification for the tender bidding, with prior experience in preparing feasibility studies for greenfield projects and also airports,” he said, adding that the report would be submitted to the state cabinet before any final location is chosen.
