AAI Submits Final Feasibility Report for Hosur Airport: TN Govt to Seek Defence Ministry Nod

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has laid before the Tamil Nadu government its final feasibility report for the planned greenfield airport at Hosur. The second step in the process will be the State applying formally for the Ministry of Defence clearance, under which the area’s airspace lies, a Delhi-based senior official confirmed.

The Hosur airport project, first proposed last year, is aimed at complementing the city’s growing profile as an industrial and automobile manufacturing hub. With plans to transform Hosur into an information technology centre via the proposed ‘Knowledge Corridor’, the government views an airport as a crucial infrastructure. The proposed facility is expected to include two runways spread across nearly 2,000 acres.

Following a detailed site evaluation last year, AAI identified five potential locations. The Tamil Nadu government has since shortlisted two: one to the south of Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) in Hosur taluk, and another to the east of Hosur, near Shoolagiri.

The AAI’s draft report, submitted last month, indicated minimal technical hurdles at both sites. A subsequent airspace analysis confirmed feasibility, clearing a major step before final approvals. “The airspace study will see to it that flight operations out of Hosur do not overlap with current flight routes and the runways will operate at optimal levels,” said an official.

But one major hurdle persists: a binding agreement between Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which bans new airports within a radius of 150 km until 2033. “Despite the restrictions, initiating the process now is strategically important,” another source noted.

Industry leaders have thrown their weight behind the project. “Hosur airport could significantly boost Tamil Nadu’s economy and investment potential,” said S. Sundariya, president of the Hosur Industries Association. He highlighted benefits for both passenger travel and cargo exports, especially from nearby Bengaluru suburbs like Electronic City and Attibele.

“With the Knowledge Corridor in the pipeline, an airport is not just necessary it’s urgent,” Sundariya added.