Hosur airport plan gains momentum

TIDCO invites proposals from consultants for the project

The proposal to establish an airport at Hosur is finally seeing some momentum on the ground.

The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) has invited proposals from consultants for undertaking demand assessment, air traffic forecasting and identification of potential sites for setting up the airport.

Traffic growth rate

The shortlisted consultant will have to analyse the air traffic growth trends (passenger and cargo) in the past 10 years in nearby airports.

They will also have to forecast future traffic for 30 years considering traffic growth rate and major demand drivers such as industrial growth, regional economic growth, tourism, growth in per capita incomes etc. in surrounding region.

Issues to be analysed

Issues such as identification and assessment of potential cargo that can be economically handled at the airport and assessment of possible diversion of cargo movement from other airports will also be analysed by the selected consultant.

A senior government official, in the know of the development, said, “After taking a decision on airport capacity and the infrastructure to be developed, the extent of land to be procured will be decided.”

The official added, “Based on this and land availability, the consultant will identify the suitable location in Hosur for developing airport and assess the technical and financial feasibility.”

Currently, the State has international airports at Chennai, Coimbatore, and Tiruchi and Madurai and two domestic airports at Thoothukudi and Salem.