Hassan Airport Update: Karnataka Minister Reveals Completion Timeline for New Airport Near Bengaluru

Hassan Airport Update: Karnataka's long-pending airport project in Hassan is likely to be completed in the financial year 2025-26, stated Karnataka Minister for Infrastructure Development MB Patil, recently. The under-construction airport in Karnataka is located nearly 190 kilometres away from Bengaluru.

The airport project in Karnataka's Hassan has been pending for more than three years, and its long timeline has raised several eyebrows and questions about its slow pace of completion.

Karnataka's Hassan Airport Timeline

Minister for Infrastructure Development, M.B. Patil, in response to a question from Hassan MLA Swaroop Prakash, stated that the project would be completed by 2024-25, reported The Hindu.

The airport project in Karnataka's Hassan is the result of a six-decade-old pending demand for an airport project. The airport construction project has progressed at a snail's pace, although the land acquisition began as early as 1966 for the project.

The airport project in Hassan started in 2021 and has to made any significant progress in the last two years. Despite uncertainty around the project timeline, the Karnataka Minister has assured that the airport project in Karnataka will be completed in the current financial year (FY2025-26) only.

Hassan Airport Project Details

The airport construction is carried out near Boovanahali, around 190 kilometres away from the state capital Bengaluru. Few years ago, during the Karnataka Assembly session in Belagavi in December 2023, MB Patil had informed Hassan MLA that the new airport will be completed in 2024-25.

Hassan Airport Project Cost

The project cost was estimated at Rs 193.65 crore, and Rs 164.47 crore had already been released. The idea of an airport for Hassan dates back more than sixty years. The first formal proposal was prepared by the Central Public Works Department in 1960. Land acquisition followed in phases, beginning with the Assistant Commissioner of Hassan securing about 31 acres and 31 guntas of private land, along with 58 acres of government land, in November 1966.

A second round of acquisition for the Hassan airport project took place in 1971, when authorities obtained another 12 acres of private land and 42 acres of government land.

The construction of Hassan airport in Karnataka is expected to improve flight accessibility in the state. It will also offer an alternative to Bengaluru residents for air travel. Bengaluru is currently home to the world-class Kempegowda International Airport. Bengaluru's KIA airport, with its premium facilities and massive passenger capacity, stands as the only functional airport of the metro city. As KIA has already exceeded its design capacity, efforts are underway to build fresh airports near the city outskirts to handle demand expected to double within a decade.