Race for Bengaluru’s Second Airport Intensifies Amid Hosur Competition
The Karnataka government is fast-tracking plans for Bengaluru’s second international airport to counter delays and rival Tamil Nadu’s greenfield airport proposal at Hosur, just 35 km away. Seven potential sites were initially identified by consulting firm Idec, but progress stalled due to ministerial disagreements and election-related distractions in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
With bypolls concluded, the site selection process has entered its final phase. Infrastructure Department (ID) officials confirm that a shortlist of three locations is under detailed evaluation. A final proposal will soon be sent to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), pending ID Minister MB Patil’s return from poll duty.
“The competition from Tamil Nadu is a key concern,” said IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge. “The government is expediting the process and ensuring no further delays.”
Earlier site discussions were marred by political tussles. Home Minister G Parameshwara pushed for a location near Tumakuru, while Deputy CM DK Shivakumar advocated for sites in his district of Ramanagara, with Bidadi and Harohalli emerging as top contenders. Experts, however, argue for a southern Bengaluru site to ease congestion at the Kempegowda International Airport in the north.
Complicating matters, Shivakumar’s proposed Hemmigepura skydeck could overlap with air traffic zones for Bidadi or Harohalli sites. Public feedback is being sought, with over 300 suggestions received so far. BBMP’s chief engineer, M Lokesh, assured that an alternative skydeck location will be finalized soon.
The urgency to act is heightened by the need to retain Bengaluru’s strategic edge in aviation infrastructure.
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