The Karnataka government has made it clear that there is no proposal under consideration to establish a second international airport for Bengaluru or a separate airport in Tumakuru district. Industries and Infrastructure Development Minister M.B. Patil in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Responding to a simple question raised by Tumakuru City MLA G.B. Jyothi Ganesh, the minister stated that the government has not initiated any plan to develop a new airport in Tumakuru as a replacement or alternative to Bengaluru, as well as an additional airport to Bengaluru.
As Minister Patil had said, this proposal is subject to a significant policy constraint in terms of the Greenfield Airport Policy by the Central Government of India. According to the policy, approval is generally not granted for a new airport in an area 150 km from a civil airport. Since Tumakuru falls within the influence zone of Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport, any new airport in the district needs to be considered by the Centre.
He also said that if an airport is proposed within the restricted distance, the Central Government would have to do a very detailed assessment of its impact on the existing airport before arriving at a final decision. These are based on passenger traffic, economic viability, airspace management and impact on airport operations.
The issue came to light after some prominent political leaders publicly supported the idea of establishing Bengaluru’s second international airport in Tumakuru. Deputy Chief Minister Dr G. Parameshwara, Union Minister V. Somanna and Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra had advocated for the project because Tumakuru’s location as well as its improved infrastructure makes it a desirable location for future aviation development.
There have been proponents who have pointed to Bengaluru's surging growth as a world technology and business centre. Airlines’ traffic is growing on an increasing scale in the future, and hence the city could need an airport to keep up and ease Kempegowda International Airport’s growing demand.
However, the state government's latest clarification indicates that no formal steps are being taken in that direction at present. When asked about whether funds would be earmarked for a Tumakuru airport project in the upcoming state budget, Minister Patil categorically said that such a question does not arise because the government is not examining any such proposal.
The statement essentially puts to rest speculation about an immediate airport project in Tumakuru. Although the demand for a second airport for Bengaluru may continue to be discussed in political and development circles, the Karnataka government has emphasised that no proposal is currently before it and existing central policy provisions remain a major hurdle.
For now, Kempegowda International Airport will serve as Bengaluru’s main aviation centre and any plans for additional airport infrastructure will depend on policy and feasibility studies and approval from the Central Government.
