Centre has assured support for Bengaluru 2nd airport: Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said that Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has assured him that once it receives the feasibility report from the state, the Centre will grant all required permissions for the second airport in Bengaluru.

Shivakumar, who met Naidu in New Delhi and discussed various issues related to the proposed second airport, said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already examined the three sites proposed by the state government and submitted its observations on each of them.

The state government has invited bids to select a consultancy firm to conduct a detailed feasibility study of each site, taking into account financial viability and expected passenger load. The tender process is in its final stage.

“Once the feasibility report is received, the state government will take a final call on the site for the second airport,” Shivakumar told reporters here. He added that Naidu assured him that as soon as the state government recommends a site, the Ministry of Civil Aviation will expedite the entire approval process, including clearing all regulatory issues.

Minister for Science & Technology and Minor Irrigation N S Boseraju, Karnataka government’s representative in Delhi T B Jayachandra, Raichur Congress MP Kumar Naik and Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath were present during the meeting.

Shivakumar said he also requested Naidu to relax the height restrictions imposed on high-rise buildings around airports in Bengaluru, including Kempegowda International Airport, HAL Airport, the Air Force base at Yelahanka and the Jakkur Airfield.

He also said these are impacting the city’s growth, urban planning and the ability to accommodate its expanding population and infrastructure needs.

“We have requested the Union Minister to relax these norms so that Bengaluru can be brought on par with other major cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad,” he said.

“Because of the restrictions extending up to 20 km from HAL airport, we were forced to shift the Skydeck project from the proposed NGEF factory site near Baiyyappanahalli to Kempegowda Layout,” he said.

“While the Union government asks states to introduce premium FAR, at the same time, it imposes severe restrictions on high-rise buildings. What is the use of premium FAR?” he asked.

Naidu assured the delegation that a joint meeting between the Union Ministries of Civil Aviation and Defence would be convened soon to resolve the issue.