AAI Team Inspects Three Sites For Bengaluru’s Second International Airport As Kempegowda Airport Reaches Saturation

A multi-disciplinary team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been on a visit to Karnataka, starting from 7 April to evaluate three proposed sites for Bengaluru’s much-anticipated second international greenfield airport, The Hindu reported.

The three-day visit marks a step in the state’s effort to expand aviation infrastructure as Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) edges toward saturation. In FY25, KIA recorded the highest ever passenger and cargo traffic.

The state government has identified two sites along Kanakapura Road and one on the Nelamangala–Kunigal Road corridor. All three sites are over 4,500 acres and are being considered for their potential to host a major airport project.

Prior to the site inspections, officials from the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) presented technical details to the AAI, including revenue maps, decade-long weather data, satellite imagery, Survey of India maps, and other operational parameters.

An aviation expert underlined critical criteria for greenfield airport development, “The proposed airport has to have flat land which is the foremost requirement, there should be no mountains in the approach area, another aspect is weather as there cannot be an airport where there is consistently bad weather. There should not be too many waterbodies around the airport. There should be good surface connectivity, not just roads but also rail.”

KSIIDC has already paid Rs 1.21 crore to AAI for the assessment. Following the AAI’s site report, the state will commission a detailed feasibility study to determine the final location.

However, any operationalisation will be post-May 2033 due to a concession agreement between Bangalore International Airport Ltd. and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which restricts any new airport within 150 km of KIA until its 25th anniversary.

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