Hyderabad: Slow Progress on Proposed Airports in Telangana
The Telangana government has made some progress on the Mamnoor Airport in Warangal with state funding. However, five other proposed airports in the state have remained stuck on paper for over a decade without substantial development.
The government had initially planned to establish airports at Basanth Nagar in Peddapally, Jakranpally in Nizamabad, Addakal in Mahabubnagar, Adilabad, and Kothagudem. Despite these proposals being in place for over ten years, very little progress has been made apart from preliminary surveys. Former Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, during a visit to the state, had assured the development of these six airports, but the projects have not moved forward.
Though the Airport Authority of India (AAI) conducted techno-feasibility surveys, there has been no significant advancement. In August 2021, while responding to a query from BRS leader KR Suresh Reddy, the then minister stated that the AAI was planning to develop the Jakranpally Airport in Nizamabad under the proposal.
The government categorized the six proposed airports under two classifications — greenfield airports in Jakranpally, Mahabubnagar, and Kothagudem, and brownfield airports in Adilabad, Basanth Nagar, and Warangal. Basanth Nagar previously hosted VayuDooth planes, and with these locations being over 150 km away from the Shamshabad airport, construction appeared feasible.
However, land acquisition issues have hindered progress, particularly for the proposed airport in Kothagudem. The area is surrounded by forests, requiring environmental clearances, which have further delayed the project. Initially, a prior agreement with Shamshabad airport restricted the development of new airports within 200 km. But the distance of 280 km from Kothagudem to Shamshabad made construction theoretically possible under updated policies that now allow airports within 150 km of an existing one.
In Adilabad, the government identified 385 acres for an airstrip. Similarly, a survey was conducted four years ago for an airstrip in Addakal, Mahabubnagar, but no further steps have been taken. Local residents have expressed skepticism, suggesting that the repeated surveys primarily benefit land speculators, as nearby land prices spike each time a new survey is announced.
Despite early promises and growing demand for regional air connectivity, the development of these airports continues to face bureaucratic delays and logistical challenges.
