Don’t slow down work on airport for Hosur: Industry bodies to Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Industry bodies in Hosur, the burgeoning industrial town located just outside Bengaluru, are excited over the Tamil Nadu government fast-tracking the process of building a greenfield airport for the city by asking the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to study in detail two locations shortlisted to house the facility.

Hosur Industries Association (HIA) and Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association (HOSTIA) feel the villages located close to the private airport owned by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation (TAAL), one of the locations chosen for further study by the state government, would be the “ideal location.”

They also asked the government to ensure that there is no delay in acquiring land for the ambitious project once the site is finalised for building the airport.

Besides passenger traffic, Hosur promises huge freight traffic and an airport will help save time and money for many industries as they currently send their goods to the Bengaluru International Airport, located about 80 km away, they said.

After surveying five locations, the government has shortlisted two sites that are 2 km and 10 km from Belagondapalli village on the Thalli road in Hosur, which will now be studied in detail by AAI. The development comes six months after Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that Hosur will get an airport of its own in an area of 2,000 acres.

L K M Adhi, member of HIA, told DH that the state government shouldn’t bother much about the concessionaire agreement that says no airport should be constructed within 150 km of the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru till 2033 as building a greenfield airport will take at least six to seven years.

“With Karnataka starting preliminary work on a second airport for Bengaluru, the Tamil Nadu government should stand its course and finalise a location soon. We need an airport and there is no doubt about it. One should also look at the freight traffic which is substantial in Hosur,” Adhi said.

B Senthilnathan of the HIA said since Hosur caters to a diverse range of businesses, freight traffic should be considered while planning an airport.

“From horticulture to MSMEs to electronics units, the city now has huge potential for freight traffic which is expected to generate good revenue. Since the concessionaire agreement ends in 2033, we should plan now to see how we can have an airport at least by then, if not immediately,” he told DH.

Adhi said even if international flights aren’t feasible from Hosur, the airport should at least start with domestic operations which will hugely help people and businesses.

K Velmurugan, past president of HOSTIA, said Belagondapalli where TAAL airport is located is the “ideal location” for constructing the airport as they are located in the plains and is in proximity to several roads that connect Hosur with Bengaluru.

“The topography in other areas like Shoolagiri won’t be suitable for an airport. After finalising the location, the government should ensure that the land acquisition is a smooth affair and doesn’t run into rough weather as it happened in Parandur, the location for Chennai’s second airport,” Velmurugan added.

The new airport in Hosur is also likely to cater to people living in many areas of south Bengaluru due to its proximity to Tamil Nadu town. The Tamil Nadu government’s move also comes close on the heels of Karnataka mulling a second airport for Bengaluru near Tumakuru.

Hosur is home to about 500 big industries and 3,000 MSMEs and now hosts Tata Electronics Private Limited, a key supplier of Cupertino-based Apple Inc. and electric vehicle majors like Ola, Ather, Simple Energy, and TVS motor company.