Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, right, meets Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. | Photo Credit: -

Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi on Wednesday and discussed the construction of a second airport in Bengaluru and the Sky Deck project.

Karnataka Minister for Science & Technology and Minor Irrigation, N S Boseraju, the Karnataka Government’s representative in Delhi, T B Jayachandra, MP Kumar Naik and Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Giri Nath were present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Shivakumar called on the Centre to expedite the development of Bengaluru’s second airport, grant early clearance for the proposed Sky Deck project and address broader connectivity and infrastructure issues. He emphasised the importance of prompt clearances and closer coordination between the Centre and the State to support Karnataka’s growth.

The push for a second airport comes amid rising capacity pressures at Bengaluru’s existing airport. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has earlier acknowledged that traffic at the city’s airport is increasing steadily and indicated that a second airport would be taken up once the site is finalised.

However, the project faces procedural and policy hurdles. A feasibility study by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already examined shortlisted sites, but final approvals depend on site selection and regulatory clearances.

Additionally, under existing concession agreements between the Union government and Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), a new airport within 150 km of Bengaluru may require stakeholder approvals and the project is expected to commission a new airport after 2033.

The Sky Deck project, positioned as a tourism and urban landmark under the State’s development plans, has also faced location and regulatory challenges, including aviation safety restrictions in earlier proposed sites.

Broader push

The meeting reflects Karnataka’s broader push to strengthen aviation infrastructure to match its economic expansion.

With passenger traffic expected to grow further, officials stressed that faster decision-making and coordination between the Centre and the state will be critical to ensuring future-ready aviation capacity in Karnataka.

(The writer is an intern )

Published on March 18, 2026