The Tamil Nadu government has announced plans to set up an international airport in Hosur on 2,000 acres of land with a capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. This initiative aims to support the increasing industrial needs in the Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, Chief Minister M K Stalin informed the Assembly on Thursday.
Currently, Tamil Nadu has four international airports located in Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Trichy.
Chief Minister Stalin emphasized the airport's potential to drive the overall socio-economic development of the region, not just Hosur alone. "I am pleased to announce in this House that an international airport will be set up on 2,000 acres of land in Hosur, capable of handling 30 million passengers per annum," Stalin said, making the announcement under rule 110 in the Assembly. The announcement was met with widespread approval from various political parties in the House.
Stalin highlighted the rapid progress Tamil Nadu has made in all sectors since the DMK came to power, noting the state's top position in the Export Preparedness Index for 2022. "Tamil Nadu is India's leading state in exports of motor vehicles, ancillaries, leather goods, and electronics. From being at the bottom in 2020 in the ranking of states for industrial growth, Tamil Nadu has now become a top-performing state," he said, as per a report on PTI. He added that efforts are underway to transform Tamil Nadu into a one trillion US dollar economy by 2030.
The Chief Minister stressed the necessity of establishing the airport to support the overall socio-economic development of the Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri regions.
Int'l Airport In Hosur: Will Proximity To Bengaluru Airport Be A Stumbling Block?
Hosur has been attracting significant investments in the electronics and electric vehicle manufacturing sectors over the past few years.
However, the announcement comes amid Karnataka's plans to scout for land for a second airport in Bengaluru, likely to be built on Tumakuru Road.
A potential stumbling block for the Tamil Nadu government’s Hosur airport project is the current policy of the Centre, which does not allow new airports within a 150-km radius of an existing airport. Hosur is just 74 km from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, posing a challenge to the project’s feasibility, according to a report on Hindu Businessline.
Additionally, Tamil Nadu is planning a greenfield airport at Parandur in Kanchipuram district at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, with land acquisition proceeding rapidly.