Telangana Cabinet approves development of Warangal’s Mamnoor airport; passenger flights from Hakimpet

Telangana Cabinet has approved the proposal to develop the Mamnoor Airport in Warangal district by acquiring 253 acres of additional land for construction of a terminal building and extension of the existing runway

Hyderabad: The State Cabinet on Monday has approved the proposal to develop the Mamnoor Airport in Warangal district by alloting 253 acres of additional land for construction of a terminal building and extension of the existing runway. The Cabinet also decided to look at passenger flight operations from the existing defence airport at Hakimpet on the lines of the defence owned-airports in Pune and Goa. This was because the Shamshabad airport was handling about 2.5 crore passengers every year and with Hyderabad expanding fast, the Cabinet decided to request the Centre to allow passenger flights from the Hakimpet airport.

A survey for acquiring additional land for the expansion of the Mamnoor airport was completed in June this year. The expansion of the airport necessitates land from Nakkalapalli, Gadepalli, and Mamnoor villages in Khila Warangal Mandal, which have been identified as suitable for airport development.

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To compensate the affected farmers, the Warangal District Collector proposed a solution where the government would land, presently under the jurisdiction of PV Narasimha Rao Veterinary University adjacent to Mamnoor village, to the respective Tahsildar. In return, the farmers’ lands would be acquired and transferred to the AAI. This exchange aims to facilitate the expansion of the current 1.8 km runway to 3.9 km, enabling the airport to accommodate larger aircraft like the Boeing 747.

The revival of the Warangal airport is a highly awaited move and is expected to significantly contribute to the region’s development, especially with the presence of the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park (KMTP) near Warangal. By providing air connectivity to the people of Warangal and surrounding districts, the airport is poised to spur economic growth by attracting investments and promoting tourism.

The Warangal airport holds historical importance as it was originally constructed in the 1930s and later utilized by the Indian Air Force during World War II under the Nizam rule. Since 2018, the Telangana government has been actively working towards reviving the Mamnoor airport, which had ceased operations in 1981.