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Plea to upgrade K’taka airports ignored: Patil
Karnataka's minister criticizes the Centre for granting international status to Madurai Airport, while ignoring similar requests for Hubballi and Belagavi airports.
The Union Cabinet’s decision to grant international airport status to Tamil Nadu’s Madurai Airport has drawn criticism from Karnataka’s infrastructure development minister MB Patil, who on Wednesday said the Centre had ignored similar demands from the state for airports in Hubballi and Belagavi.
“The Narendra Modi-led central government has declared Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu as an international airport but has not taken a similar decision regarding Hubballi and Belagavi airports in Karnataka. This reflects a discriminatory approach and is not acceptable. How can it be butter for them and lime for us?” Patil said in a statement. He added that the Centre’s approach raised concerns, noting that Karnataka had sought international status for airports in the northern part of the state but had received no response.
The Cabinet approved the proposal on Tuesday, with Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stating that the decision was taken in view of the aspirations of people in Madurai.
The minister said the state government had written to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on June 24, 2025, requesting that the Hubballi and Belagavi airports be upgraded, arguing that such a move would significantly benefit the North Karnataka region. He added that the Centre had yet to respond to the request.
Patil also suggested that the decision on Madurai may have been influenced by political considerations linked to upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu, but said the Centre should not overlook Karnataka’s requirements.
He urged Union minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai to raise the issue with the Centre and support the state’s demand. “At least one of the two airports, Hubballi or Belagavi, should be declared an international airport. If both are upgraded, it would be even more welcome. The central government must recognise the state’s requirement,” Patil said.
In a separate development, Patil informed the Karnataka legislative council that the state government would take a final decision on the proposed airport in the Kalyana Karnataka region after consulting elected representatives from Ballari, Vijayanagara and Koppal districts.
Responding to a question from BJP member YM Satish, the minister said the government was exploring the possibility of locating an airport at a site that could serve people from all three districts. A final decision will be taken after a meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah with representatives from the districts.
Patil said the idea of building an airport in Ballari was first taken up in 2010. Around 900 acres of land were acquired and handed over to Chennai-based MARG Sri Krishnadevaraya Airport Private Ltd. to construct the project.
However, the contract was later cancelled after the company failed to begin work within the two-year period specified in the agreement.
The government invited tenders in October last year to appoint a consultant to prepare a detailed project report for the airport project, he said.
Patil noted that residents of Vijayanagara and Koppal districts had also sought airports in their areas. Establishing separate airports in each district might not be practical, he said, and the government was examining the option of identifying a location that could serve all three districts.
He clarified that the land acquired earlier in Ballari for the project would not be returned.
Referring to the Centre’s UDAN scheme aimed at improving regional air connectivity, Patil said airports in the state initially functioned well under the programme. However, flight services from Kalaburagi and Bidar were later suspended due to low passenger numbers, although operations have since resumed at Bidar.
To improve viability, the state government has asked the Centre to extend the UDAN scheme period from three years to five years, he said.
Patil said the government wanted to avoid creating infrastructure that remained underutilised. “In my view, the Ballari airport should not become a white elephant,” he said.
He added that selecting a location convenient for residents of Ballari, Vijayanagara and Koppal districts could help ensure sufficient passenger demand and make the project economically viable.
