Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure M B Patil has said that a meeting will be held soon to decide upon the site for the proposed second airport for Bengaluru.

Before the government comes to a conclusion, the government will have to take aspects into consideration – passenger load and connectivity to the existing Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the minister said.

“If we prioritise passenger load, areas such as Sarjapura and Kanakapura Road are strong contenders. On the other hand, if connectivity to the existing airport becomes a priority, places like Tumkur and Dabaspete will be in the lead,” Patil said.

He told the reporters that these considerations will be discussed in the next departmental meeting and a review will be held with the chief minister. “The matter will also be taken up in the cabinet meeting,” he added.

The exclusivity clause with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), which prohibits the establishment of another airport within a 150-kilometer radius, will expire in 2032. This expiration opens the possibility for a new airport to be developed by 2033.

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Given the extensive time needed for land acquisition and compensating landowners, the government has already begun the planning process, according to the minister.

Patil said that the major cities around the world like New York and London have multiple airports in close proximity. “In Mumbai, the distance between the two airports is 36 kilometers,” he further said.

Regarding the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to build an airport in Hosur, Patil stated that it is necessary to determine whether the exclusivity clause with BIAL applies to this case.

Noting that Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) is the third busiest airport in India, after Delhi and Mumbai, the minister’s office recently reported that last year the airport handled 37.5 million passengers and over 400,000 tonnes of cargo.

The current airport is expected to reach its peak passenger handling capacity by 2033 and its maximum cargo handling capacity by 2040, the office stated.

(With PTI inputs)