KR Puram, and not Nagawara, could be the hub for Metro connectivity to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The new alignment to the airport could start at KR Puram, touch Hebbal via Nagawara, and then run along the Bengaluru-Hyderabad national highway before connecting to the airport. According to sources, the under-construction KR Puram station is expected to have higher footfall as it is designed as an interchange station connecting both the outer ring road Metro corridor up to Central Silk Board and the east-west Metro corridor from Mysuru Road, the BMRCL believes the completion of the 22.43-km Gottigere-Nagawara line, a prerequisite to extending the Metro from Nagawara to the airport, could take longer than scheduled as the stretch has a 14-km underground corridor, for which BMRCL is struggling to strike a deal with construction firms.