Drive down Kanakapura Road or the Nelamangala stretch today and you will see hoardings for plots "near the second airport", often with a plane icon and a distance in minutes.

The trouble is simple. As of 23 September 2026, the Karnataka government has not announced a final site for Bengaluru's second airport. A feasibility study is still being completed, the list of candidate sites has changed more than once, and the existing airport's exclusivity period runs until 2033.

This guide sets out what has actually been reported about the shortlisted sites, the hurdles each faces, and how to check a plot properly before you pay. It does not cover the established North Bengaluru market around the current airport, which we discuss in our North Bangalore airport corridor guide.

Where Things Stand in September 2026

The project has moved slowly, and in stages. In March 2025 the state sent three sites to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation: two on Kanakapura Road and one on Kunigal Road near Nelamangala. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) team then inspected them, and its report was presented in November 2025 without endorsing any one site.

Industries Minister M B Patil said the state would commission its own techno-economic study. In December 2025 the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) invited tenders for a location suitability and technical and financial feasibility report, with five months allowed for the work. Reports in 2026 named Meinhardt and KPMG in connection with that study.

In July 2026 Chief Minister D K Shivakumar suggested looking at Harohalli in his Kanakapura constituency, and three further parcels were identified. Deccan Herald reported in August 2026 that the final feasibility report was expected in September 2026. The final decision rests with the Chief Minister and the state Cabinet. I have not seen a Cabinet decision on a site reported on or before 23 September 2026.

The Sites That Have Been Named

The table lists only what has been reported. Most reports do not give distances site by site.

The Hurdles Every Site Faces

Airspace

The AAI report said aircraft movement would be constrained by restricted airspace at all the proposed sites. HAL and the Yelahanka Air Force Station control much of the city's airspace, so civil and defence authorities must agree.

Terrain

The AAI flagged hard and soft rock and hills both around and inside the site boundaries. Levelling hills adds cost and time. At one Harohalli parcel, officials said demolishing a hillock was possible but not easy because it is hard rock.

Wildlife

The Kanakapura Road and Harohalli options sit close to Bannerghatta National Park. Officials have raised concerns about noise and disturbance to wildlife, and a site near the park would need separate environmental studies and clearances.

Land acquisition

Land is the biggest single hurdle. Acquiring around 5,000 acres means many owners, rehabilitation and possible resistance. In Harohalli, part of one parcel has already been acquired for the Satellite Town Ring Road, which complicates the layout.

The 2033 exclusivity clause

The concession for Kempegowda International Airport restricts any new civilian international airport within 150 km until 2033. Deccan Herald has reported the date as May 2033. In March 2025 state officials estimated that building a new airport would take seven to eight years, and the government has said it wants the second airport ready around the time the clause expires.

Tumakuru, Sira and the Other Proposals

The site question has also been political. In 2025 a group of more than 40 legislators backed Sira in Tumakuru district, and in July 2026 Union Minister V Somanna again argued for Sira, citing nearby industrial corridors. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who represents a Tumakuru constituency, has favoured a site on that side of the city.

The state's position, as stated by M B Patil, is that an airport at Sira would in effect serve Tumakuru and Chitradurga rather than Bengaluru. Tamil Nadu's proposed airport near Hosur has also featured in the debate, since the southern Bengaluru sites lie relatively close to it.

For buyers, the point is that several different areas have each been sold as "the second airport location" over the past two years.

How Long Airports Actually Take

The Devanahalli site was chosen in the mid-1990s, over competing proposals that included Kanakapura, and the airport opened in 2008. That is more than a decade from site choice to first flight.

For the second airport, a realistic sequence looks like this: site decision, detailed project report, central and defence clearances, environmental clearance, land acquisition and rehabilitation, bidding for a developer, then construction. In April 2025 officials spoke of finalising a site by 2026 and completing construction by 2031 to 2032. If you buy a plot today on the strength of the airport, you should be comfortable holding it for ten years or more with no guarantee of the outcome.

The Real Risks for Plot Buyers

• Wrong location. Until a site is notified, a plot "near the second airport" is near a possibility. If the final choice is elsewhere, any premium you paid for the airport story may not hold.
• Too close. Land inside a chosen boundary is acquired, and compensation follows the acquisition law and official valuations, not the price on a brochure. Land near the runway approach can face building height limits.
• Other acquisitions. Roads such as the STRR, industrial areas and townships also acquire land in the same belts. A plot can be affected by these whether or not the airport comes.
• Unapproved layouts. Speculative demand attracts layouts sold on agricultural land with no conversion or plan approval. These are hard to register cleanly, hard to finance and hard to resell.

Our guide to plots vs apartments covers the wider trade-offs between land and a finished home.

How to Check a "Second Airport" Plot

1. Land conversion

Farmland must be converted to non-agricultural use before it can be sold as residential plots. Traditionally this is the Deputy Commissioner's order under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, often called DC conversion. In 2025 the state amended the rules to make conversion online and time-bound, and in approved master plan areas conversion can now be treated as part of the layout approval. Either way, ask for the conversion order or the approval that records it, and check that the survey numbers and extent match the revenue records (RTC).

2. Approved layout plan

Ask which authority approved the layout. Within its area that is the Bangalore Development Authority. Across much of the wider region it is a local planning authority under the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), and elsewhere the relevant urban development or town planning authority. Check the approval number with the authority, and confirm your specific plot is in the portion that has been released for sale, not land held back until roads and amenities are completed.

3. RERA registration

Plotted developments are real estate projects under the RERA Act. Registration with Karnataka RERA is required unless the land is 500 sq m or less or the project has eight or fewer plots. Search the Karnataka RERA portal and read the uploaded approvals, not just the number on the hoarding.

4. Khata and records

Each plot should have its own property record: an e-khata in city areas, or an e-Swathu record in panchayat areas. A plot with no individual record is a warning sign. Our e-khata guide explains what to ask for.

5. Title, encumbrances and notifications

Have a lawyer trace title, read the encumbrance certificate, and check for acquisition notifications on the survey numbers, including for roads and industrial areas. NRIs cannot buy agricultural land, so an unconverted "farm plot" is not an option for them at all.

What Actually Drives Plot Values

Airports matter mostly through the jobs and roads they bring over many years. Meanwhile, plot values follow more ordinary things.

• Clean, approved paperwork, which decides whether banks will lend and buyers will pay a fair price later.
• Roads and transit that exist today, not just those announced.
• Nearby employment, whether industrial areas, offices or institutions.
• Water, power, drainage and roads actually delivered in the layout.
• Price paid. A sound plot bought at a fair price leaves room for growth. An airport premium paid up front leaves much less.

What I Tell Clients

Buy a plot on Kanakapura Road, near Harohalli or towards Nelamangala only if it makes sense without the airport: the paperwork is clean, the price matches recent registered sales nearby, and you would be content holding it for a decade. Treat the airport as possible upside, not the reason to buy.

What to watch next: the state's feasibility report, a Cabinet decision naming one site, any preliminary notification for land acquisition, and the central and defence clearances. Until an acquisition notification is published, no one can say which survey numbers fall inside the airport. Confirm the legal checks with your own lawyer before you sign anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Has the location of Bengaluru's second airport been finalised?

No. As of 23 September 2026 no final site had been announced. A state-commissioned feasibility study was expected to be completed in September 2026, after which the Chief Minister and Cabinet are to decide.

Which sites are being considered?

Chudahalli and Somanahalli on Kanakapura Road, a site on Kunigal Road near Nelamangala, and three parcels in Harohalli identified after July 2026. Sira in Tumakuru district has been proposed by some leaders but is not on the state shortlist.

When could the second airport open?

Officials have spoken of finalising a site by 2026 and completing construction around 2031 to 2032, and the existing airport's exclusivity clause runs until 2033. Treat any date as uncertain.

Is a plot near Kanakapura Road a good investment because of the airport?

It can be a reasonable long-term holding only if it is legally clean, fairly priced and makes sense without the airport. The site is not final, and land close to a chosen site may be acquired or face height restrictions.

What documents should I check before buying such a plot?

The conversion order or approval recording conversion, the approved layout plan and release of your plot, Karnataka RERA registration where required, an individual e-khata or e-Swathu record, title documents, the encumbrance certificate and any acquisition notifications.

If you are being offered a plot "near the second airport" and want the conversion, layout approval, RERA and khata papers checked before you commit, our khata and approvals liaison team can help you verify them on the ground. Message me on WhatsApp.

Sources

• Deccan Herald: Bengaluru's second airport: Harohalli sites face land, wildlife and terrain hurdles
• Deccan Herald: Bengaluru's second airport: Here is what we know so far on shortlisted sites, what AAI report said and hurdles ahead
• Deccan Herald: Bengaluru 2nd airport: 3 sites sent to Modi government
• Deccan Herald: Tenders invited for feasibility study for second Bengaluru airport
• Deccan Herald: International airport at Bengaluru's Sira may not be viable, district airport is possible, indicates M B Patil
• Construction World: Tumakuru push revives bid for Bengaluru's second airport
• King Stubb & Kasiva: Land conversion requirement removed in Karnataka GBA

Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Figures and rules change; check current details with a professional before you act.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tariq Sallam

Founder, Proptals · Karnataka RERA registered agent

Tariq has advised buyers, sellers, landlords, landowners and developers in Bangalore since 2004. He writes about what he sees on site visits, in negotiations and at registration offices.

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