Bengaluru, Feb 5 The Karnataka government is contemplating the establishment of a second airport for Bengaluru but has yet to finalise a location for the prestigious project, while the Tamil Nadu government is strongly pushing for its Hosur city, located 40 km from Bengaluru.
To a question on the development, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said: "The demand to build an airport in Hosur, a border city in Tamil Nadu, has been raised for a long time. They have already submitted a proposal to establish an international airport there."
"The footfall at Bengaluru airport is increasing. It should take about 40 minutes to reach cities such as Chennai and Mangaluru by air, but due to air traffic congestion, flights from the Bengaluru International Airport take nearly two hours. The objective is to provide separate domestic and international services to save time," he said.
"We are considering building a second airport to accommodate more international flights. Major cities worldwide have multiple airports. For example, Navi Mumbai Airport is being developed in Mumbai, and Delhi also has multiple airports. Given Karnataka’s population growth and development in industries, education, and healthcare, we believe a second airport is necessary. It remains to be seen whether the Central government will grant us permission or allocate it to Tamil Nadu," Parameshwara said.
"We will submit a proposal, and Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil is working on it. The location has not been finalised yet, and they must choose among two or three potential sites in Karnataka, adhering to civil aviation guidelines,” he added.
"We have proposed Tumakuru, a neighbouring city close to Bengaluru, as the site for the second airport. Similarly, other locations have been suggested. The civil aviation authorities will decide which site is technically feasible. Previously, there was an attempt to build Bengaluru’s first international airport in Bidadi, on the outskirts of the city, but the DGCA ruled it out due to technical reasons. We will have to wait and see how the authorities evaluate the current proposals," he said.
Tumakuru is also Parameshwara’s native place.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated on Wednesday that the Industries Minister is currently searching for a suitable location for Bengaluru’s second airport. "So far, he has not discussed it with me or the Chief Minister. No final decision has been made in this regard," he said.
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