Can south Bengaluru host the new airport? Karnataka's answer to the Hosur challenge

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The Karnataka government is leaning towards south Bengaluru, specifically the Kanakapura Road and Bannerghatta Road corridors, as the preferred location for the city’s crucial second international airport, according to a report by TOI.

This inclination follows an assessment by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) which highlighted significant challenges that must be overcome before any of the three proposed sites can be approved.

The push for a new airport is underscored by pressing capacity concerns. Passenger traffic at the existing Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Devanahalli has already surpassed its design capacity. With demand projected to double within the next decade, the state views the Rs 10,000-crore project as an urgent necessity.

Adding a layer of regional competition to the urgency, neighbouring Tamil Nadu’s move to establish a new airport in Hosur is seen as a direct bid to attract passengers from southern Bengaluru.

An official from Karnataka’s infrastructure development department (IDD) provided a stark rationale for the southern focus. An assessment of KIA passenger data suggests that nearly half of the airport's maximum capacity of 85 million travellers — approximately 40 million — will hail from south Bengaluru.

“This effectively suggests that south Bengaluru needs the second airport, failing which the passengers from those areas will look at Hosur as an alternative destination,” the IDD official was quoted as saying.

Despite the clear strategic preference, the government is proceeding with caution. Infrastructure Minister MB Patil has clarified that no final decision will be made until a comprehensive techno-feasibility study is completed by a prominent consultant.

The state is preparing a strong pre-qualification for the tender bidding, seeking firms with prior experience in greenfield airport projects.

“All the three sites will be considered for a techno-feasibility study... There will be no decision taken on the location of the airport before the study report is submitted,” Minister Patil affirmed, as per TOI. The final report will be presented to the state cabinet for approval.

The project continues to face substantial headwinds. The AAI has flagged that identifying suitable land within a 100-120km radius of the city remains exceptionally difficult. Environmental concerns, financial viability and complex airspace management around the existing KIA are major constraints that are likely to cause further delays for the high-stakes infrastructure endeavour.