Bengaluru: Here comes a piece of good news for the air passengers of Bengaluru. The new will soon get a new international airport and in this regard, the Karnataka government has shortlisted three sites, even as Congress ministers lobby for their respective home districts.
A report by Moneycontrol stated that three potential sites— Bidadi (Mysuru Road), Harohalli (Kanakapura Road), and Solur (located between Nelamangala and Kunigal)—have been shortlisted.
Final decision after consulting CM
Sources told MoneyControl that the three sites have been shortlisted, but a final decision will be made after consulting with the Chief Minister and then the proposal will be sent to the AAI after the CM’s approval.
While Bidadi and Harohalli come under the Ramanagara district, the home district of Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar. Solur, on the other hand, is in Bengaluru Rural district.
State Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) Minister M B Patil had in June 2024 said that the government was looking for land for Bengaluru’s second airport from a list of seven locations. However, the proposal was to be sent to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as the ministers are not on the same page.
Airport to handle 100 million passengers annually
Earlier, Patil had said that the airport will have the capacity to handle up to 100 million passengers annually and will require around 4,500 to 5,000 acres of land.
In the meantime, various Congress ministers appear to have not aligned on the choice of location and Shivakumar wanted the second airport in Ramanagara, while Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara is pushing for Tumakuru.
In the middle of these developments, experts are of opinion that much like Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli, which triggered real estate development in north Bengaluru, the location of the second airport will impact real estate prices and stimulate the development of housing, commercial establishments, and infrastructure.
In the meantime, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu assured the Rajya Sabha on February 3 that clearance for a second airport in Bengaluru would be granted once the site is finalised.
