Farmers and landowners in Boovanahalli village in Tumkur district have opposed the price quoted by the district administration as compensation for the Hassan airport project, which is a joint venture between the Government of Karnataka and Jupiter Aviation Pvt. Ltd on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model. The project was first mooted by the Central Public Works Department in 1960, with a land notification being issued in 1969, but there was no progress. It was later revived in 2006-2007 by former Indian Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the interest of the region's farming sector.

At a meeting between the farmers and the district administration on July 17, 2018, the farmers said they would give up their land for the airport only if the airport authorities provide employment to the local people and pay INR 2 crore per acre as compensation. The district officials offered them a maximum compensation of INR 32 lakh per acre. The farmers claim that some qualified youths from the village wanted to apply for jobs at the airport but were denied entry by the airport authority.

The district authorities had acquired 536 acres of land near Boovanahalli on the outskirts of the city in 2007 and handed it over to Jupiter Aviation. The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) needs additional 189 acres for the project.

KIADB claims that 254 acres of land in four parcels have already been notified for the airport project over a total time period of 12 years. When LCW approached Special Land Acquisition Officer Arun Kumar for comments on the issue, he said he would not be able to share any information since he is not the concerned officer anymore. LCW then tried to contact another Special Land Acquisition Officer, Suresh Kumar, who said he has recently joined the post and was not aware of the issue.