The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for renaming Bengaluru International Airport as "Kempegowda International Airport" to fulfill the long pending demand of the people of Karnataka, as well as the State Government of Karnataka.

Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) is the premiere Greenfield Airport in South India. It was commissioned and became operational on 24^th May, 2008.  It is owned and operated by Bengaluru International Airport Pvt. Limited (BIAL). in which KSSIDC (an entity of the Government of Karnataka), the Airports Authority of India, GVK Group, Siemens and Zurich Airport are shareholders. BIA is the fifth busiest airport in the country, built over an area of 4,000 acres.

              The Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous  resolution on 10.12.2012 and the Legislative Council also passed a similar resolution two days later to rename Bengaluru International Airport as "Kempegowda International Airport".

Background

              Hiriya Kempegowda, known as Kempegowda was a ruler under the Vijayanagar Empire, who ruled most parts of Karnataka during the sixteenth century.  He had the vision of building a large futuristic city and is widely accepted as being the founder of Bengaluru.  Kempegowda built Bengaluru Fort and moved his capital from Yelahanka to the new Bengaluru.

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