CHENNAI: In a major push for aviation infrastructure, the Tamil Nadu government is gearing up to apply for site clearance for the Hosur greenfield airport from the Union civil aviation ministry over the next two weeks.
According to a report in the Deccan Herald, the move is aimed at fast-tracking the project announced by Chief Minister M K Stalin last year, which is expected to be a massive facility with a capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. It may be noted that these numbers are significantly larger than the Chennai airport which catered to 22 million passengers in 2023.
The upcoming airport which will be a boon to the industrial city of Hosur and its neighbouring areas is planned on approximately 2,000 acres in the Berigai-Bagalur area of Krishnagiri district. The location was selected over the Bendagondapalli site close to the Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) airfield, following a technical study that cited its fewer obstacles.
Meanwhile, the Krishnagiri district administration is preparing a land development plan while the state government plans to commence the land acquisition process over the next four months, Deccan Herald reported.
The development comes on the heels of the Karnataka government's plans for a second airport in Bengaluru and the revival of the old Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport. However, the project faces a major hurdle as an agreement restricts new airports within a 150 km radius of the Bengaluru International Airport Limited, until 2033.
Apart from this, the state government has also requested the Defence Ministry to reduce airspace restrictions, once the airport become operational. Most of the airspace in Krishnagiri is controlled by HAL.