Tamil Nadu government has sent a formal application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for site clearance of Hosur International Airport, as per the The Hindu. With this project, the state government is taking a big step forward in extending the state's flight network and the plant like the industrial ecosystem will benefit a lot from this move as the industrial ecosystem in and around Hosur is growing rapidly.
The new airport is expected to be constructed in the area between Berigai and Bagalur in the Shoolagiri taluk, which is a very well-thought area both for the industrial and the passenger traffic requirements. Hosur has developed into a sizable industrial complex with many automobile and manufacturing units, thus it becomes inevitable to have modern aviation facilities to handle cargo, business, and regional connectivity.
Lack of airspace constitutes one of the main problems for the project. The State again sent a letter to the Ministry of Defence asking for less strict rules in Hosur area. The first request they made in June was not very successful as the main reason for denial was that the airspace merges with the area controlled by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is the company that handles the critical defense and aerospace operations in the region.
The people familiar with the matter claimed the Chief Secretary has urged the Centre to make it understand that they can work it out operationally. “There is already an overlap between the airspace of Bengaluru airport and Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) with HAL airspace,” a senior source quotes as per swarajyamag.com.
The State also explained that a similar cooperation mechanism can be drawn up for Hosur which means that not only defense but also civil aviation will be able to operate safely in the area. The government is still waiting for a reply from the Defence authorities who will play the main role in setting the project's timetable.
Considering the location clearance instances in the past, the clearance step of this project might be between half a year and one year. In fact, the approval period for the Parandur airport lasted more than a year. After getting site clearance, the State also will have to get from the Centre the green light for the project which is a mandatory step before construction can start.
According to the agreement between Bangalore International Airport Limited and the Civil Aviation Ministry, in which it is stated that there is a restriction of new airports within 150 km from Bengaluru, passenger flights at Hosur are not going to be possible even after all the regulatory approvals for another eight years.
The Tamil Nadu government is going to build the airport on a 2,300-acre land out of which the State already owns a piece of land of about 650 acres. It is presumed that the first stage of the development will be limited to one terminal and two runways, which will comprise future expansions that will take place when demand increases. The airport is being considered as a future plan to keep up with the region's industrial growth and at the same time, enhance regional connectivity.
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