Hyderabad: New airports may be set up in Telangana’s Adilabad and Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjuna Sagar under the UDAN 2.0 scheme approved by the Union Cabinet last week, said Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
Naidu said that the Telugu states are set to reap extensive benefits through the UDAN 2.0 scheme since it allows upgrading the existing airstrips into fully-fledged airports, paving the way for construction of new airports in Adilabad and Nagarjuna Sagar along with improving connectivity in the region.
He also said that the scheme would facilitate the launch of flight services from Kurnool and Kadapa to Delhi and other major cities.
Speaking to reporters at an informal interaction at his residence during the inauguration of the Noida International Airport near Delhi on Saturday, Naidu said, “We do not intend to take over the Adilabad Air Force airstrip, which is currently under the control of the Ministry of Defence. Instead, we will acquire the remaining land and construct an airport there. We have no objection to granting permission for the construction of a traffic tunnel beneath the runway of Begumpet Airport. If the state government bears the necessary cost for this project, we will take the requisite measures”.
According to the Civil Aviation Minister, out of Rs 28,000 crore allocated under UDAN 2.0, Rs 12,000 crore will be utilised for development of 100 airports while Rs 3,500 crore will be spent on the construction of 200 heliports. Additionally, plans are afoot to provide another Rs 10,000 crore to airlines under the Viability Gap Funding scheme, he added.
In Andhra Pradesh, both the new airport at Bhogapuram and the expanded airport at Vijayawada are expected to become operational by June, he added.
On the proposed Mamunuru airport near Warangal, he said that the project is currently under inter-ministerial consultations. The state government has requested an equity stake in this airport but such a precedent does not exist for airports constructed under the aegis of the Airports Authority of India, he said adding that efforts are on to conduct the foundation stone laying ceremony for this project in June.
Regarding the proposed airports at Kothagudem and Basanthnagar, sites previously identified were unsuitable and on state government’s response, alternative locations are being explored.
Naidu said that Embraer is expected to take a decision within the next two to three months regarding the establishment of an aircraft manufacturing facility in the country. “The company’s objective is to roll out the first indigenously manufactured aircraft by the end of 2028,” he added.
