AAI report on Bengaluru second airport flags terrain & airspace issues

Bengaluru: Proximity to the Bannerghatta peak, HAL airspace and hilly terrain are some of the concerns raised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) team that conducted an on-ground feasibility study of the three proposed land parcels for Bengaluru's second international airport, according to government sources.

The report has been presented to the state government. Before that, the AAI team placed it before the Ministry of Civil Aviation for evaluation. 

The report highlights the challenges of setting up an airport at the three proposed locations — two adjacent land parcels on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli (4,800 acres and 5,000 acres) and a 5,200-acre area on Kunigal Road near Nelamangala.

"The report does not approve or disapprove of either location," Industries Minister M B Patil told DH. "It merely states the challenges prevalent at each of the locations. Each location has its pros and cons. Now, our team will carry forward this report and do our own feasibility and viability studies before we decide on a location. We'll also look at the technical and financial feasibility." 

The minister is looking at roping in "top consultancy firms" to get the project started. Once that is sorted, the next move is to rope in private developers. "The viability study is extremely important as it will determine the passenger capacity and other important factors. It is what the private developers are interested in. We want to ensure that the private developers show interest," he added.

So far, the Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) has shown keen interest in taking on the second airport, with Hari Marar, the managing director of BIAL, appealing to the government to fast-track the process of establishing a second airport in Bengaluru back in 2023.  

Challenges ahead 

Among the challenges highlighted in the report are proximity to the Bannerghatta peak, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airspace, and the hilly terrain, a well-placed source with the Industries Department told DH. 

Proximity to the Bannerghatta Hills is a common challenge for building an airport in either of the locations, a senior AAI official told DH.

"When the aircraft is ascending or descending, the Bannerghatta peak is of concern. The proximity of the locations needs to be thoroughly studied, keeping in mind various scenarios of landing or taking off," the AAI official said. "Apart from this, the terrain at both locations is pretty much the same. The Nelamangala-Kunigal side is a little more hilly; there are more stones and 'bandes'. However, these can be broken and the land can be flattened, but that would cause an increase in the construction costs." 

The three locations also fall in the HAL airspace area; however, this can be resolved and is unlikely to cause any relocation, he said. 

"There is already a flexible airspace usage agreement, according to which defence airspace can be utilised for civilian purposes as well," the AAI official said.

"How this works is that, once the aircraft operates under the ATC (Air Traffic Control) of the airport/AAI when it takes off, but as it moves into the HAL airspace, it'll operate under the HAL ATC. The HAL would have to increase their manpower to accommodate the new airport's operations," he explained, adding that the HAL had already given preliminary consent for the proposed second airport using its airspace. 

"The report does not approve or disapprove of either location" Industries Minister M B Patil told DH. "It merely states the challenges prevalent at each of the locations. Each location has its pros and cons. Now our team will carry forward this report and do our own feasibility and viability studies before we decide on a location. We'll also look at the technical and financial feasibility," said M B Patil Industries Minister.