A file photo of AAI team inspecting two sites at Kanakapura Road for Bengaluru’s second airport.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) expert team, which inspected three sites for Bengaluru’s second international airport in April, is expected to submit its report in the next two to three days.
Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said on Thursday that once the AAI team submits the report, it will be submitted to the state cabinet.
In April, the AAI team inspected three sites, two of which were on Kanakapura Road and one on Nelamangala-Kunigal Road.
“There is a possibility that the AAI team may recommend both the sites it inspected. However, the airport construction companies would also assess the financial feasibility of the proposed sites. It is not that they will build the airport where the government allocates land,” Patil said.
He further added that the state government has started the process with regard to the clause which prohibits the establishment of another international airport within a radius of 150 km from the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) till 2033.
“If we start the groundwork now, the second international airport will be ready by then. It usually takes at least five to six years to complete a project of this magnitude,” he added.
The second airport for Bengaluru could not be operational until after May 2033, thanks to an agreement between Bangalore International Airport Ltd., which is the operator of KIA, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
According to the agreement, no airport can operate within 150 km of KIA before the 25th anniversary, which falls in May 2033.
KIA is expected to handle roughly 80 to 90 million passengers by the end of this decade and is expected to run out of capacity by the early 2030s. Hence, the government proposed a second airport for Bengaluru.
Mr. Patil said that currently only two cities in India – New Delhi (Noida) and Mumbai (Navi Mumbai) – have two international airports and the government will also consult with companies involved in developing these airports.
On the Tamil Nadu government’s plan to build an airport in Hosur, he said the state government is aware of the plan.
Published – 23 October 2025 21:45 IST
