The union government on Tuesday announced to start the process of the survey to set up six more airports in the newly carved Telangana state. The Airport Authority of India will mark the survey for the development of six airports in the state. At present, Telangana has no airport, shares the one in Hyderabad, being the joint capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states for ten years.
The K. Chandrashekhar Rao government has been demanding for more air-connectivity in the state. The locations for setting up three new airports in Telangana were identified by TRS government last year, besides the upgradation of three existing airstrips in Warangal, Adilabad District and Basanth Nagar in Pedapalli District for their development as brown-field airports, not in operation for several years. 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.
Besides the one Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, shared by both states, Andhra Pradesh has six other operational commercial airports including three international airports in Vishakapatnam, Vijaywada, Tirupati, and remaining three at Kadapa, Oravakal and Rajahmundry. After being operational, all these six airports can lessen the passenger load on the Hyderabad International airport. This airport ranks the sixth position in the busiest airport by passengers foothold in India and served over 21 million passengers in the last fiscal.