Chennai, Nov 16 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government has initiated the first major step in establishing an international airport at Hosur by formally submitting the site clearance application to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The proposed airport, to be located between Berigai and Bagalur in Shoolagiri taluk, is planned with an ambitious capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually, making it one of the State's most significant infrastructure projects.

According to officials, the State has also renewed its request to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) seeking relaxation of airspace restrictions that currently hinder progress.

Tamil Nadu had first approached the MoD in June; however, at that time, Defence authorities expressed reservations, citing overlapping airspace concerns involving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru International Airport, and Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) in Hosur.

A senior official said that the Chief Secretary has once again submitted detailed technical clarifications explaining how operations at the proposed Hosur airport can coexist with existing aviation facilities in the region.

"The airspace of Bengaluru airport and TAAL already overlaps with HAL. We have demonstrated that similar arrangements can be made for Hosur as well. We are awaiting a fresh response from the Ministry," the official noted.

The site clearance process is expected to take six to eight months.

For comparison, the Parandur greenfield airport near Chennai took slightly over a year to secure its site clearance.

Once this stage is completed, the project will require in-principle approval from the Centre before further steps can begin.

However, a major regulatory hurdle remains: an agreement between Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation prohibits the establishment of any new airport within 150 km of Bengaluru airport for eight years.

This means that even after clearances are secured, Tamil Nadu will have to wait nearly a decade before commencing commercial operations at Hosur.

Despite these challenges, the State government is moving ahead with detailed planning for the airport, which is expected to catalyse the region’s rapid transformation.

Hosur, already an established electronics and manufacturing hub, has been attracting significant new investments in emerging sectors.

The proposed airport, with advanced passenger and cargo infrastructure, is expected to reduce dependence on Bengaluru airport and accelerate economic growth in western Tamil Nadu.

The project is planned across 2,300 acres, of which the government already owns about 650 acres.

The initial phase includes one terminal and two runways, with provisions for future expansion to accommodate rising passenger and cargo demand.

--IANS

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