Bengaluru 2nd airport: 3 sites sent to Modi government

In a significant development, the Karnataka government, on Thursday, sent a proposal to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, identifying three locations around Bengaluru for the construction of a second international airport in the city.

According to the proposal, two locations are situated along Kanakapura Road in south Bengaluru, which is diagonally opposite the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). While one comes under the purview of Bangalore Urban district, the other falls under Ramanagara district, it is learnt. One of the locations identified near Harohalli is less than 10 km away from the last green line Metro station, sources said.

The extent of land identified for the two locations on Kanakapura Road are 4,800 and 5,000 acres respectively.

The third location is on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala, where the authorities have identified about 5,200 acres of land.

The state government, in its communication to the Ministry, also stated that it is ready to provide a minimum of 4,500 acres of land at any one of the locations finalised by the Ministry.

According  per the protocol, the Ministry will send a team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to study the locations before finalising the site for the second airport. Based on their recommendations, a detailed financial feasibility study will be conducted, sources in the Ministry said.

The state government also informed the Ministry that all three locations are within a 50-km radius of Bengaluru city centre and have excellent access to roads, including national highways.

The Ministry is also of the view that any airport built within a 50-km radius of the city would be economically viable.

Earlier, State Heavy Industries Minister M B Patil had said that the state would construct a second airport around Bengaluru to meet the demand, as the existing Kempegowda International Airport is reaching its saturation point.

At present, the existing airspace above Bengaluru is shared by the Bangalore International Airport Ltd, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and defence authorities at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka.

The location for the new international airport can be finalised only after free airspace is made available, said an official in the Ministry.

In its concession agreement signed with the Union government on July 5, 2004, BIAL ensured that it remains the sole civilian airport in Bengaluru at least until 2033.

“No new or existing airport shall be permitted by the GoI to be developed as, or improved or upgraded into, an international airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of the airport before the 25th anniversary of the airport opening date,” according to the concession agreement.

Patil had earlier said, “The exclusivity clause or preference clause of the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli will end by 2033, and the airport’s capacity of 100 million passengers will be achieved by 2030. We are preparing for a second airport with good intentions. We started now, but it will need seven to eight years to complete the construction of the airport,” he had said.

Kempegowda International Airport began operations in 2008. Air passenger traffic in Bengaluru grew by 9% to 40.73 million in 2024, compared to 37.2 million in 2023, according to BIAL.