The Centre has given nod to the second airport in Telangana in Warangal’s Mamnoor, less than 150 km away from the state capital of Hyderabad, said Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy Friday.
Reddy said the Centre has responded positively to the request of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) as per the orders of the state government to develop the Mamnoor airport and resume operations. He added the Telangana Government earlier released Rs 205 crore for handing over 253 acres of additional land required for the development of Mamnoor Airport to AAI.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, in a communication to AAI, referred to the Telangana Government’s letter regarding a ‘No Objection Certificate’ issued by Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL). Consequently, the state government has given instructions to hand over 253 acres of land to AAl for developing the airport in Warangal.
At present, Warangal airport is a non-operational AAI airport.
As per clause 5.2 of the Concession Agreement relating to Hyderabad Greenfield Airport signed between the Central Government and HIAL, the government has agreed not to permit the development, improvement, or upgradation of new or existing airport into a domestic or international airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of the Hyderabad airport, before the 25th anniversary of the Airport Opening Date.
This is one of the key reasons why Telangana did not have an operational second airport after the AAI airport at Begumpet in Hyderabad was decommissioned with the operationalisation of GMR HIAL in 2008.
The waiver of clause 5.2 by HIAL is a one-time arrangement and subject to the condition. “The NOC is applicable only for the Mamnoor Airport and not to be considered as a precedent to subsequent plans to develop any other airports by the Airports Authority of India or the Government of Telangana and as may get covered under Clause 5.2 of the Concession Agreement of HIAL,” the letter said.
The previous government had requested the Centre for six airports and the matter never progressed. The Congress government, however, was able to convince the Centre regarding the Mamnoor airport and get the Central approval.
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Besides Mamnoor, the previous Telangana government had proposed new domestic airports at five more locations — Basant Nagar in Peddapalli district, Palvancha in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, Jakran Palli in Nizamabad district, Devarakadra in Mahabubnagar district, and Adilabad district headquarters.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
