BENGALURU: A team of officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is in Karnataka to inspect the three identified locations for the construction of Bengaluru’s second international greenfield airport. On Monday, the team met officials from the State Government and Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSII DC).
“Of the three locations suggested by the State Government to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to carry out a pre-feasibility study, two are on Kanakapura Road— Chudahalli and Somanahalli. The third is on the Nelamangala-Kunigal Road. The AAI team on Monday was given technical presentations related to the construction of the second airport in Bengaluru at the above three sites,” an informed source told TNIE.
The presentation included details on the sites’ terrain, a 10-year weather report, road, rail, and metro connectivity, and the distance of the three locations from Bengaluru, the source added. The AAI team will be in Karnataka till April 9, and they will be visiting the proposed locations for inspection on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“After their visits, the AAI team will submit a report. Based on the report, the State Government will finalise one site and look for investors to develop the airport,” the source added.
According to the agreement signed between Bangalore International Airport Limited and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, no new airport can be set up within an aerial distance of 150 km of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and the agreement holds good till the 25th anniversary of BIAL, that is, till 2033.
The Tamil Nadu government is also on the lookout for sites to set up an international airport at Hosur, which is around 74 km from KIA.