The Centre on Tuesday decided to requisition an aeronautical survey for building six airports in Telangana, which was left with just one airport after it was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The survey has been marked for the proposed development of these six airports by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Telangana government has been pressing for more air connectivity for the state. Last year, it has identified sites for setting up three airports and sought up-gradation of three airstrips which have not been operational for years. With Telangana’s only airport- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport- located in Hyderabad, the airport is also used by Andhra Pradesh too. However, with Andhra Pradesh already having six operational commercial airports- Vishakapatnam, Vijaywada, Tirupati, Kadapa, Oravakal and Rajahmundry- the K Chandrashekhar Roa led government is demanding for more air-connectivity within the fairly newly formed state.  

Telangana awaits AAI report to develop airports.

The State government is waiting for the techno-feasibility report from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for developing six airports in the State.@KTRTRS @TelanganaCMO @AAI_Official @HardeepSPuri @HiWarangal @timesofindia pic.twitter.com/eqJRwETWfq

— Puli Abhilash (@PuliAbhilash1) November 25, 2019

Telangana government hopes to create more air-connectivity within the state. 

Besides the up-gradation of three existing airstrips in Warangal, Adilabad District and Basanth Nagar in Pedapalli District for their development as brown-field airports, the aeronautical survey has marked the locations in Jakaranpally in Nizamabad District, Addakal Mandal in Mahbubnagar District and one in Bhadadri Kothagudem for setting up new green-field airports.

The new airports, once ready and operational, are expected to lessen the passenger load on the Hyderabad International Airport which is presently the sixth busiest airport by passenger traffic in India and served over 21 million passengers in the last fiscal. With the Warangal airstrip -which already has an existing airport area- being about 706 acres along with two runways, the strip has been in operation commercially since 1981.

The six new airports will cover all parts of the new state, including Adilabad in the northern tip, Bhadadri Kotaguden in the east and Mahubanagar in the west creating overall air-connectivity within the state.