BENGALURU, 10 APRIL

Even as Home Minister G Parameshwara has turned louder calls to establish a second International Airport for Bengaluru at Sira in Tumakuru district, Infrastructure Minister MB Patil on Thursday indicated that it may not be viable.

If the airport comes up at Sira, it will become a district or a regional airport and not an international airport for Bengaluru, Patil said.

A number of legislators, cutting across party lines, recently signed a petition to the chief minister and union civil aviation minister, demanding an international airport at Sira – about 120 km from Bengaluru – in a campaign spearheaded by Congress MLA TB Jayachandra.

Union Minister of State and Tumakuru MP V Somanna has also lent voice to it.

The state government has already shortlisted three locations for the city’s second airport – two on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) team has inspected these sites in the past couple of days.

"If the airport has to come up at Sira – Jayachandra is a senior leader, I respect him – it won't be an international airport for Bengaluru, it will become airport for Tumkuru and Chitradurga districts," Patil said in Bengaluru.

He said, "I have even said that we are considering a district airport for Tumakuru, Sira and Chitradurga region."

Highlighting that airport developers decide the site based on viability, he said. "I too have a wish for an international airport to come up at Vijayapura (his native), is it possible?" he asked.