Tamil Nadu’s government’s grand design to build the International Airport which is expected to be built in Hosur, near Bengaluru, has found a crucial roadblock. The MK Stalin-led government proposal has been formally denied by the Union Ministry of Defence, citing critical airspace needs raised as one of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)'s primary requirements under the proposal.
The Airspace Conflict
The reason for this rejection is more to do with the strategic significance of the airspace in the Hosur-Bengaluru corridor. The airspace across this area is subject to stringent control and used by HAL for both testing and defence purposes, so the defence ministry reiterated in a letter last week that the airspace is “indispensable” for HAL’s operations.
So, a request for the establishment of a civilian international terminal has been declined. In November, officials in the Tamil Nadu government have been expressing disappointment, saying a detailed report with specific coordinates was submitted to show the airport in effect (without interfering with HAL) could function properly. “It’s so unfortunate that the proposal was spurned in the first place without discussion on it or a meeting to hear our technical explanations,” a top official said in the statement.
The “150-Kilometer Rule” Hurdle
Even assuming the Defence Ministry did allow this, there is a gargantuan hurdle to overcome in the form of the Concession Agreement between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). Under this agreement, no new or existing domestic/international airport can be developed or enlarged within an aerial distance of 150 kilometers of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) until 2033 (25 years from the KIA opening).
Since Hosur is well within this radius, regardless of these strategic clearances, it is probable that the project would have been challenged on the ground before BIAL. How It Will Impact Karnataka’s Second Airport. The Tamil Nadu government had intended to base the airport on 2,300 acres of land between Berigai and Bagalur in Shoolagiri taluk, with a major capacity of 30 million passengers a year. It sought to leverage the emerging industrial powerhouse of the Hosur-Electronics City belt.
The Government of Karnataka which has begun scouting ground for Bengaluru’s second airport has a clearer path to follow as Tamil Nadu grapples with continuous obstacles. The project of Karnataka is being undertaken in connection with the expiration of the 150-km exclusivity clause in 2033. Since immediate competitors will no longer be able to play in the vicinity of a Hosur airport, Karnataka has more flexibility for executing its 2033 pathway.
What’s Next?
The Ministry of Civil Aviation is asking the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) to undertake an impact study to check how a proposed airport in Hosur would impact the traffic density of its existing airports in Bengaluru and Salem. Although the state government considers legal and alternative avenues now the project is in limbo.
