The Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure, MB Patil, has announced significant steps towards establishing a second airport for Bengaluru, citing the imminent capacity constraints of the existing Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). In a recent statement, Patil disclosed that a crucial meeting will soon determine the location of the proposed airport, taking into account passenger demand and connectivity factors.
“If passenger load is prioritised, areas like Sarjapura and Kanakapura Road are strong contenders. For connectivity to the existing airport, places like Tumkur and Dabaspete will lead,” Minister Patil emphasized. Areas such as Sarjapura and Kanakapura Road are being considered favorably for their potential to accommodate high passenger traffic, while locations like Tumkur and Dabaspete are highlighted for their strategic connectivity to the existing airport.
These deliberations are set to be reviewed extensively in an upcoming departmental meeting, followed by consultations with the Chief Minister and the state cabinet for final approval.
The current exclusivity agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which restricts the establishment of another airport within a 150-kilometer radius of KIA, is scheduled to expire in 2032. This expiration potentially opens the door for a new airport to commence operations by 2033, with preliminary stages including land acquisition and compensation strategies already underway.
Minister Patil drew comparisons to global cities like New York and London, where multiple airports serve the metropolitan area, highlighting the necessity for Bengaluru to expand its aviation infrastructure. “In Mumbai, the distance between two airports is 36 kilometers.” he pointed out.
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Responding to issues raised by its plans to put up an airport in Hosur Tamil Nadu, Minister Patil noted that there is need to reconsider a new application of the exclusion clause with BIAL suggesting that they are still consulting on the strategies on regional airspace.
By this year Kempegowda International Airport, which is the third airport in India regarding traffic after Delhi and Mumbai will have served about 37. over 5 million passengers and 400,000 and more tones of freights per year. The forecasts reveal that Bengaluru’s airport is on the right path to achieving its maximum carrying capacity for passengers by 2033 and for cargo by 2040; hence, it is evident that there is a need for expansion of aviation facilities in the city.
