Bengaluru‘s long-awaited second international airport has moved a step closer, with Harohalli on Kanakapura Road emerging as the preferred location for the proposed greenfield airport, a project aimed at easing pressure on the rapidly expanding Kempegowda International Airport while unlocking a new infrastructure and economic corridor in south Bengaluru.
While the Karnataka government is yet to make a final announcement, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday indicated that the airport would come up in south Bengaluru, with officials directed to prepare a proposal for submission to the Centre after evaluating technical and financial feasibility.
South Bengaluru emerges as preferred location
Harohalli, located around 40 km from Bengaluru in Kanakapura taluk, has emerged as the leading contender after the government assessed multiple locations for the city’s second airport.
Addressing the media after chairing a high-level meeting with Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil and senior officials, Shivakumar said the government had prioritised locations where land acquisition would be easier and project costs could be kept under control.
“We asked officials to submit a proposal to the central government after considering a location where the land cost is low, which is technically feasible, and not too hilly,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the government also wants to minimise the social impact of the project.
Why Harohalli?
According to the Chief Minister, Harohalli offers several advantages over other shortlisted sites. The area has relatively lower land prices, favourable terrain and requires minimal displacement of settlements, making land acquisition less complex and less expensive.
“We asked them to look for a location where land prices are low, so it doesn’t burden the state government, and where no villages need to be displaced. A few scattered houses are not an issue, as they can be compensated, but villages should not be shifted for the project,” Shivakumar said.
The proposed site also enjoys strategic connectivity, being closer to Mysuru while opening up development opportunities along the Kanakapura Road corridor.
Infrastructure push beyond an airport
If approved, the airport is expected to significantly reshape south Bengaluru’s infrastructure landscape. Large-scale airport projects typically trigger investments in new highways and arterial roads, metro and suburban rail connectivity, logistics parks and warehousing, commercial and industrial hubs and residential townships and hospitality projects.
With Harohalli positioned along the Kanakapura Road corridor, urban planners believe the project could transform the region into Bengaluru’s next major growth belt, similar to the development witnessed around the city’s northern airport corridor over the past decade.
Government reviews airport proposal
The latest review comes after Shivakumar chaired a meeting with the Infrastructure Development Department to examine the progress of the proposed airport. Although the Chief Minister did not officially name Harohalli as the final location, he confirmed that the airport would be located in the southern part of Bengaluru, where earlier shortlisted sites are situated.
The government is expected to forward its proposal to the Union government after completing technical assessments.
Officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have already inspected the previously shortlisted sites as part of the feasibility assessment.
Why Bengaluru needs a second airport
The proposal comes amid rapidly growing passenger traffic at Kempegowda International Airport, which has become India’s third-busiest airport. In the Karnataka Budget presented earlier this year, the state government announced plans to develop a second airport to decongest Bengaluru’s existing aviation hub.
The Budget stated that a feasibility report would be prepared after obtaining technical guidance from AAI before finalising the project.