Bengaluru needs a second airport, but with good planning Premium

The years-long demand for a second international airport for Bengaluru has now reached a decisive stage. Just days after the Tamil Nadu government declared its intent to build a 2,000-acre airport in Hosur, Karnataka has unveiled plans to build a much bigger aerodrome and identified six locations for the mega project. The race has finally picked some pace.

The years-long demand for a second international airport for Bengaluru has now reached a decisive stage. Just days after the Tamil Nadu government declared its intent to build a 2,000-acre airport in Hosur, Karnataka has unveiled plans to build a much bigger aerodrome and identified six locations for the mega project. The race has finally picked some pace.

Despite a two-year pandemic-induced slump in air traffic growth, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) had addressed the city’s mounting demand for more flights and capacity. But the addition of a second runway, a second terminal and upgrade of its T1 would only delay the inevitable: The dire need for a second airport.

It is estimated that KIA, currently the country’s third busiest, will overshoot its structural capacity of 92 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) by 2032-33. This is less than 10 years from now, and if preparatory work for a new airport does not start right now it might be too late. Year 2033 is also when the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL)’s exclusivity clause ends. This clause mandates that no airport can be built within a radius of 150km around KIA.

The State’s plan, as articulated recently by Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil is this: Build a greenfield, international airport on a 5,000-acre land somewhere within a 60 km distance from Bengaluru city. The six locations identified for this project are along Tumakuru Road, Mysuru Road, Kunigal Road, Kanakapura Road, Doddaballapur and Dobbspet.

So, which is the most ideal location for a new airport? Mysuru Road, going by a proposal by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) in 2020. The Chamber’s choice was driven by the huge anticipated growth in cargo originating from the industrial corridor in the region. This Southern catchment includes Ramanagara, Bidadi and Channapatna. 

Quick access through the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and a well-established existing railway system along the route were cited as transit bonuses for the proposed airport. The new project, BCIC had proposed, could come up somewhere in the triangle between Bengaluru, Channapatna and Hassan. This meant catering to both rising passenger traffic and industrial /agricultural cargo.

Today, KIA has emerged as the country’s top airport for perishable exports. In 2023-24, the airport processed 44% of South India’s total perishable cargo and 28% of the national share. The airport recorded a total perishable cargo tonnage of 63,188 metric tons in 2023-24, an 18% growth over the previous financial year, according to BIAL. This rapid pace could quickly saturate the airport’s capacity. A new airport close to the agricultural / industrial hinterland could be the right solution.