BENGALURU: As the team of officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are visiting three locations identified for the second international airport for Bengaluru, several legislators, including former minister TB Jayachandra, have appealed to the State Government to consider Sira in Tumakuru district for the proposed project.
Jayachandra and several MLAs from Central and North Karnataka region feel that Sira, around 120 km from Bengaluru, is the ideal location for the proposed project as it will help decongest Bengaluru and cater to the needs of international air travel and cargo of Central and North Karnataka. Jayachandra said that given the rate at which Bengaluru is growing, Sira will be like an entry point to the city.
However, Infrastructure Development and Industries Minister MB Patil recently stated that constructing the proposed airport near Sira in Tumkur is not feasible. If an airport is built in Sira, it will be just like the district-level airports in Shivamogga and Vijayapura. To serve the people of Bengaluru, the airport must be located near the city, Patil added.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said the AAI team inspecting possible locations will look at the technical feasibility before finalising the location. “They are looking at Nelamangala and Bidadi. More than what we say, they look at the technical feasibility. Earlier, when there was a proposal for an airport in Bidadi, the technical team said it was not feasible, after that we moved to Devanahalli,” he said.