The proposal for a second international airport in Bengaluru has regained momentum as Karnataka industries and infrastructure minister MB Patil plans to meet Union civil aviation minister Rammohan Naidu to push the plan forward. This comes while the state awaits a report from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which inspected three shortlisted locations in April.
Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is expected to handle up to 110 million passengers annually by 2035. Given that airport construction and commissioning may take six to seven years, Patil stressed the urgency of initiating the process now. The current agreement with Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which prevents new airports within 150 km of KIA, expires in May 2033.
Karnataka has proposed 4,500 acres and suggested three locations: Kaggalipura and Harohalli along Kanakapura Road, and Chikkasolur on the Nelamangala–Kunigal route. However, aviation expert Devesh Agarwal criticized these options, advocating for a site between Bengaluru and Mysuru to better serve surrounding tier-2 cities and industries. He also recommended reviving HAL airport as an urban aviation hub, citing global precedents.
Adding complexity, Tamil Nadu is pursuing an international airport in Hosur, just under 150 km from KIA, and is seeking BIAL’s approval. Meanwhile, land acquisition remains a major challenge, with past farmer protests in Devanahalli making authorities wary of similar backlash in other districts.