- By Nidhi Giri
- Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:52 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A new international airport is likely to be built in Hosur, Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, chief minister MK Stalin announced on Thursday, in the Assembly. The airport will be much closer to Karnataka's Bengaluru. This decision is likely to benefit both the states as people in Bengaluru and nearby areas planning to take a flight from Hosur can reach Tamil Nadu in relatively less time as the distance between Bengaluru and Hosur is just 39.2 km via Hosur Road.
Making the announcement in the Assembly under Rule 110, Stalin said the new airport will have a passenger handling capacity of 30 million per year and will encourage industrial growth not just in Hosur but in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu.
“I am happy to announce that an international airport will be built in Hosur,” the chief minister said. The announcement fulfils a long-standing demand from industrialists in Hosur who have been batting for an exclusive airport for the town as it currently takes over two hours to reach the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru which is 85 km away.
The government will keep in mind the concessionaire agreement signed between BIAL and the government that no airport should be constructed within 150 km of the Kempegowda International Airport till 2033.
“All options, including working with BIAL, are open. We will have to get started first. Once we identify the land, the permissions from various agencies itself will take more than a year,” as per Deccan Herald, quoting sources.
Hari Marar, chief executive officer of the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates Kempegowda International Airport, said he was not aware of Stalin’s statement as he is currently out of the country.
“I do not know on what basis the announcement is made,” he said. To a question on the time needed for constructing a commercial airport, Marar said it would take at least six years.
As per member of the Hosur Industries Association (HIA), B Senthil Nathan, the airport must have scope for expansion. Additionally, he said that freight traffic along with passenger traffic should be taken into consideration.
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Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said an airport in Hosur will be a monumental step forward for the region and the project will greatly enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth, benefiting not only Hosur but also neighbouring districts such as Dharmapuri and Salem, while also providing a significant boost to various parts of Bengaluru.
“With Hosur’s excellent climate, the new airport will foster a twin-city ecosystem with Bengaluru, propelling growth in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” Rajaa said.
