HYDERABAD: The Centre has given in-principle approval for the construction of an airport at Adilabad, with the Ministry of Defence to build the core airport infrastructure and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to develop the civil enclave.
The decision was taken at a special meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday and attended by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, Adilabad MP G Nagesh and officials.
Rammohan Naidu told reporters that a joint ground-level survey would be conducted on April 17 by the Defence and Civil Aviation ministries and the state government.
He said the Defence Ministry holds about 360 acres at the proposed site, and the project would be executed as a joint venture, with Defence constructing the airport and Civil Aviation handling civilian operations.
He said the feasibility assessment for Adilabad was favourable, adding that an additional 430 acres would be required for the runway. A proposal for this has been sent to the state government. He also said local residents had expressed willingness to provide around 450 acres.
“The Defence Ministry will construct the airport, and we will operate civil services through the enclave. Once the Defence completes construction, operations can begin,” he said.
The minister said surveys would include Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) and runway orientation for Airbus A220-type operations, followed by preparation of a master plan. Construction is expected to take about two to two-and-a-half years after the foundation stone is laid. He added that the Defence Ministry also plans to establish a training facility at the airport.
On regional connectivity, Rammohan Naidu said Adilabad was far from Hyderabad airport and closer to Nagpur (170 km) and Akola (150 km), making it a suitable location for an airport. He said the Union government aims to increase the number of airports in the country from 165 to 350.
The meeting also decided to lay the foundation stone for Mamnoor airport in Warangal within three months. The Civil Aviation Ministry has already cleared that project, he said.
On other proposals, the minister said a positive pre-feasibility report had been received for Peddapalli (Antargaon), and the report had been sent to the state government for response. He said Kothagudem was under consideration, but the site identified by the state government was not found feasible. A fresh study would be taken up if an alternative site is offered.
He said a minimum of 600–700 acres was required for a small airport, around 1,000 acres for a larger facility, and up to 1,200 acres for airports with Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations.