Centre Cites 150-Km Rule: Hosur Airport Development Delayed Until 2033.

Efforts by the Tamil Nadu government to develop a greenfield airport at Hosur have hit a roadblock, as the Centre reiterated on Thursday that the project cannot proceed until 2033 due to the existing 150-km clause restricting airport development near Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.

Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, in response to a query from Member of Parliament VS Matheswaran, explained that the existing airstrip at Hosur is privately owned and operated by Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL).

In the first round of bidding under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN, Turbo Aviation Private Limited had submitted a bid for the Chennai-Hosur-Chennai route. However, the proposal was rejected under the terms of the Concession Agreement between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL). This agreement prohibits the development or upgrading of new or existing airports within 150 km of Bengaluru Airport until May 24, 2033, marking the 25th anniversary of BIAL's operations.

Consequently, Hosur Airport was excluded from subsequent UDAN bidding rounds, according to the minister.

In June 2024, the Tamil Nadu government announced plans to construct a greenfield international airport at Hosur on 2,000 acres, aimed at handling 30 million passengers annually. This comes in addition to the ongoing development of a ₹20,000-crore greenfield airport at Parandur in Kanchipuram district, with a proposed capacity of 100 million passengers annually.

Chief Minister MK Stalin has highlighted Hosur's rapid industrial growth in sectors like electronics and electric vehicles, emphasizing the need for an airport to bolster the region’s socio-economic development, including the neighboring districts of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri.

Regarding Salem Airport, the minister stated that its current operations are limited to daytime use of ATR-72 type aircraft. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has proposed an expansion requiring 460 acres of land in three phases to enable operations for larger A-321 type aircraft.

The Tamil Nadu government has been asked to provide 177 acres in the first phase for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations of ATR-72 aircraft. The timeline for airport expansion projects, the minister noted, depends on factors such as land acquisition, clearances, and financial arrangements.

The Tamil Nadu government has positioned Hosur as a key growth center and is committed to providing modern infrastructure to support its development, despite the delay in airport construction.​​​​​​​

HBL