VIJAYAPURA : Can there be a greenfield airport without environmental clearance? Despite completion of almost all civil works, the airport at Vijayapura cannot take off as the state government has not obtained environmental clearance. The issue is now in the Supreme Court.
The airport, coming up at Burnapur village on the outskirts of the city, has been envisioned as a greenfield facility that would improve connectivity to major Indian cities and catalyse economic growth in the region. However,the project’s journey from conception to near completion has been marked by repeated delays, funding revisions, technical hurdles, and administrative challenges spanning nearly two decades.
The project was launched on December 7, 2008. Initially, the state government allotted around 727 acres for the project and handed it over to a private agency at an estimated cost of Rs. 100 crore. The agency later withdrew, citing non-feasibility and demanding additional land for developing a township; an offer the government declined as it violated the pact. This led to termination of the contract and stalled the project for several years.
Successive governments attempted to revive the plan, but technical glitches, funding constraints, and shifting priorities thwarted the plan. Even the plaque installed at the project site during the early phase disappeared, symbolising the uncertainty surrounding the initiative.
The BS Yediyurappa government then revived the project by initially approving around Rs.220 crore, later augmenting the allocation to expand the airport’s capacity so that it could handle larger aircraft such as Airbus A320 instead of only smaller ATR aircraft as originally planned. The foundation stone was laid again.
Under this phase, significant groundwork began, including land levelling, construction of a 2.65-kilometre runway, approach roads, drainage systems, and peripheral infrastructure.
The project later received administrative and financial approval from the state cabinet in July 2020, and contracts were awarded to construction agencies for different phases.
Over time, civil works including the runway, Air Traffic Control tower, apron, isolation bay, taxi track, terminal building, electrification, water supply, and approach road were completed.
The new Congress government approved an additional Rs.270.83 crore to upgrade the airport so that it could accommodate Airbus A320 aircraft, introduce night landing facilities, and install advanced navigational and safety equipment. With this revision, the total project cost escalated to Rs.618.75 crore.
The additional allocation included Rs.65 crore for night landing infrastructure, runway shoulders, and land acquisition compensation; Rs.52 crore for constructing an approach road connecting the airport to
National Highway-50; Rs 25 crore for procuring Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicles; Rs.2.76 crore for baggage detection systems; and Rs.13.09 crore for Doppler VHF Omni-Directional Range equipment. These components were not part of the original design but became essential as the project scope expanded.
The project is now awaiting approval for the fire safety system. A team from Directorate General of Civil Aviation is expected to conduct inspections, after which licensing would be issued, if all conditions are met. The state government hopes to begin operations with daytime flights initially, followed by night services once additional facilities are installed.