'Strictly On Merit...': Karnataka Minister MB Patil Unveils New Airport?

On Monday, Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure Development M B Patil said the location for Bengaluru's second airport will be finalised "purely and strictly on merit".

Patil said the state government will soon decide on the matter and communicate it to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

Karnataka's New Airport: Patil's statement

"If it is nearer to the city, people will come. For other districts -- whether Tumakuru, Vijayapura, Hubballi, or Belagavi -- district airports are different. This airport is related to Bengaluru, and it should provide convenience to the people of Bengaluru for the all-round development of the city to be globally competitive," Patil told reporters here.

Stating that the location for the airport will be decided purely based on merit, Patil said, "A decision will be taken soon in the interest of Bengaluru after considering all the pros and cons, which we will send to the Airport Authority of India."

Asked about the locations identified so far for the airport, the minister said there are four to five places, and a final decision will be made after discussing them with the chief minister.

Dabaspet, Nelamangala, Bidadi, and Harohalli were among the places discussed earlier for the proposed airport. (PTI inputs)

The existing Bengaluru airport is located 35 km away from the suburb of Devanahalli. A common criticism of the airport is how far away the airport is from the main city. A new airport might ease the difficulty of commute and ease the traffic om the existing airport.

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