Bengaluru, Apr 8 (PTI) Top officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Tuesday inspected two of the three shortlisted sites for Bengaluru's proposed second airport.

The state government has shortlisted three locations for the project—two near Harohalli on Kanakapura Road and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala.

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The two sites inspected on Tuesday are located off Kanakapura Road. Following the inspection, AAI officials held discussions with Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil, according to a release from his office.

During the meeting, a live presentation was made to the AAI team, outlining the need for a second airport in Bengaluru, the growing industrial demand, and the potential benefits to civilian air traffic.

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Minister Patil emphasised the government's commitment to ensuring maximum transparency in the process of finalising the site for the new airport, it added.

The expert team is scheduled to visit the third shortlisted site, located off Nelamangala-Kunigal Road, on Wednesday.

Patil said the government intends to finalise the airport's location based on Bengaluru's specific needs and that the final decision will be guided by AAI's report and recommendations.

The Minister had earlier noted that the exclusivity or preference clause for the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli will end by 2033.

He added that the current airport is expected to reach its capacity of 100 million passengers by 2030, which is why the government has initiated early preparations. “If we start now, it will take seven to eight years,” he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)