Adilabad airport to be a reality soon

Adilabad: The long-pending dream of an airport in Adilabad is all set to become a reality with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials responding positively to the requests of the State government. It would be one of the six airports proposed to be constructed in different parts of the State. Union Civil Aviation Minister […]

Adilabad: The long-pending dream of an airport in Adilabad is all set to become a reality with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials responding positively to the requests of the State government. It would be one of the six airports proposed to be constructed in different parts of the State.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, during his recent visit, assured Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao that the steps would be taken to establish the airports in the State.

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“AAI officials are of the view that Adilabad town was conducive for establishing an airport. Accordingly, they inspected the land and other aspects required to set up the airport. There are no major obstacles and the land for the facility has already been acquired. The remaining land of 49 acres is to be identified by the officials of the Revenue department,” Roads and Building department Superintendent Engineer Suresh Rathod said.

Incidentally, an aerodrome was established on a sprawling 369-acre landscape on the peripherals of Adilabad town by the then Nizam of Hyderabad for refueling fighter aircraft in 1930. After independence, it was brought under the control of IAF. It was used as a refueling point again for helicopters used for training pilots till the late 1970s.

In 2014, the IAF proposed to convert the aerodrome into a full-fledged Air Force Station. It had urged the district administration to identify adequate land for this purpose. Accordingly, 1,600 acres of land were identified by the authorities concerned under the limits of Kachakanti, Khanapur, Thantoli and Anukunta villages abutting the existing aerodrome in 2017. However, there was no headway in the process until 2018.

The Chief Minister announced that an airstrip would be set up in Adilabad in 2018 to fulfill the long-pending dream of Adilabad district. He had given his nod to a request for the facility made by the then Forest and Environment Minister Jogu Ramanna. The government’s concerted efforts finally paid off with the Union government agreeing to set up the airport in Adilabad.

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