Only Jakranpally technically feasible for setting up airport in Telangana: VK Singh

Singh said the Telangana government had proposed to take up development of Greenfield Airports in three locations following which the AAI was appointed for the Techno-Economic Feasibility Studies for these three airports.

Hyderabad: Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh has told the Rajya Sabha that the Techno-Economic Feasibility Studies conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has found only Jakranpally in Nizamabad District technically feasible for setting up an airport. This is when the State government had proposed three Greenfield airports in the State.

Replying to a question raised by BJP member K Laxman in Rajya Sabha, Singh said the Telangana government had proposed to take up development of Greenfield Airports at Jakranpally in Nizamabad, Palvancha in Bhadradri Kothagudem and Devarakadra in Mahabubnagar, following which the AAI was appointed for the Techno-Economic Feasibility Studies for these three airports.

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The AAI submitted the TEFS report to the State government, he said and added that the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) Survey, Soil testing and several other tests were conducted at all the sites and reports were submitted by AAI to the State government on July 6, 2021. As per the study, only Jakranpally (Greenfield) was technically feasible, he said.

The union Minister said the AAI has requested the Telangana government to develop and commission the feasible site for private operations of small aircrafts to avoid immediate requirement of land acquisition. Accordingly, the Master Plan for Jakranpally, which were earlier prepared for operations of ATR-72 in Phase-I and AB-320 in Phase-2, were re-worked and toned down for Aerodrome Reference Code-2B to cater for private operation of general aviation aircrafts.

The AAI has advised the Telangana government to carry out a fresh OLS survey for identification of actual physical obstacles upon taking up actual development of the airport for which approvals were required to be obtained from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other Regulatory/ Statutory Authorities, he said. The timeline for completion of the airport project depends upon many factors such as land acquisition, availability of mandatory clearances and financial closure by the Telangana government, he informed.