The Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted a pre-feasibility study last month for the development of a greenfield airport at the proposed site in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The Minister disclosed this information while responding to queries from Telangana MP Anil Kumar Yadav Mandadi, who sought to know if the government was taking steps to establish a new airport in the State besides the existing Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad near Hyderabad.
The proposed Kothagudem airport is expected to be constructed on a 1,600-acre site in Punugulu Chelaka, approximately 240 kilometres east of Hyderabad. The airport is intended to serve Kothagudem, a key industrial centre in Telangana. A pre-feasibility study is a preliminary assessment conducted before a full feasibility study to evaluate the potential viability of constructing a new airport at a specific location. It examines factors such as passenger demand, site suitability, environmental impact, and preliminary cost estimates to determine whether a more detailed study should proceed.
Efforts to establish an airport in Kothagudem date back to 2015 when former chief minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao approached then Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju to express support for the project. In February 2015, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced an inspection team would assess the feasibility of the site. By August that year, Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited had initiated a feasibility study, identifying Punugulu Chelaka as a suitable location. In January 2016, RITES commenced land surveys near Kothagudem.
In September 2016, the Committee on Greenfield Airports recommended site clearance for Kothagudem airport. Subsequently, in January 2017, the Telangana government formally identified 1,600 acres at Punugulu Chelaka for the project. Further momentum came in March 2020 when former Minister for Information Technology and Industries K.T. Rama Rao confirmed the State’s plans to develop six new airports, including Kothagudem.
In April 2021, Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite approvals for these projects. Most recently, in November 2024, the Telangana government requested AAI to conduct a pre-feasibility study.
Published – February 05, 2025 11:25 am IST