Locations for second airport for Bengaluru identified, proposal to be submitted to AAI soon: Shivakumar

Bengaluru: A high-level meeting, attended by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil, on Monday, identified seven locations for a second international airport in Bengaluru and has decided to submit a proposal in this regard to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) soon after discussing the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

At the meeting, Shivakumar and Patil reviewed the presentation by the IDEC and Boston Consulting Group.

Shivakumar stated: “IDEC has identified 9 locations for the new airport. Out of these, two locations have been discarded due to technical reasons. The remaining locations will be sent to the Airports Authority along with the relevant information. A final discussion with the Chief Minister will be held before that.”

Patil said the suitability of the location for the airport will be determined from the perspective of Bengaluru and Karnataka’s interests and there is no political consideration in this decision.

The Authority has set 15 criteria, and the decision will be based on those criteria, he said.

Shivakumar mentioned that Patil has already held more than 10 meetings regarding the new airport, and that the next steps will be taken considering the development of Bengaluru city, opportunities, and the pressure of passenger and cargo transport.

“Kempegowda International Airport is the third-largest airport in India. Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, it is the largest airport in south India, serving 70 million passengers. It is projected to reach 110 million passengers in the coming days.”

“The Kempegowda International Airport was built under the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model and the new airport will also be constructed in a similar manner, involving both Central and state governments. The location will be approved based on infrastructure assessments. Minister M.B. Patil has thoroughly prepared the plan. Technical reports have also been received and will be discussed with the Chief Minister before being sent to Delhi,” Shivakumar added.

Ultimately, the Central government will need to grant approval. The central team will assess the feasibility and technical aspects, determining which location would be most beneficial for Bengaluru and how it would be advantageous, he said.

Asked if the airport will be located in the Greater Bengaluru area, he said: “This is being done for the benefit of Karnataka. It will be built in your Bengaluru.”

Regarding the timeline for the construction of the airport, he said: “Work will begin as soon as the Central government grants approval. The construction is planned to be completed by 2035. Previously, permission was not granted for construction at HAL and Mysuru. We were waiting for the right time. We are working quickly so that other states do not take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Deputy Chief Minister said that there was a rule that prohibited the construction of two airports within a 150 km radius, but this will expire by 2032-33.

“Currently, the construction is planned with two runways on 4,000 acres of land. Two runways may not suffice in the future. Bengaluru is growing very rapidly, so one airport alone will not be enough,” he said.

–IANS