Telangana State Hands Over Land for Mamnoor Airport to AAI
The opening of Mamnoor airport is expected to revolutionise the economy of northern Telangana. It will serve as a lifeline and provide a major boost to the Warangal IT hub and the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park by allowing international delegates and investors to fly directly to the city.
Warangal: The state government on Tuesday handed over about 950 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the revival of the long-awaited Mamnoor airport. The foundation ceremony is expected at the end of this month, and the first flight could take off by late 2027.
The Mamnoor airport, built by the Nizam government in 1930 as an airstrip for military purposes and currently defunct, has 696.14 acres of land. The government has acquired an additional 253 acres of private land, paying farmers compensation of around Rs 295 crore at a rate of Rs 1.2 crore per acre, enabling the AAI to rebuild the airport according to modern specifications.
Despite strong demand for an airport in Telangana’s second-largest city, the government could not build an airport because the Central government had promised the GMR Group that no commercial airport would be built within a 150-km radius of the Shamshabad airport. The government, however, secured an exemption from the GMR Group on this contractual obligation.
A technical team from AAI, led by general manager B.V. Rao, inspected the boundaries alongside revenue and roads department officials. The existing runway will be expanded to accommodate 72-seater aircraft, with plans for further expansion to handle larger planes based on passenger demand. When completed, it will be able to handle Airbus A320-category aircraft.
Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, speaking at a cultural event in Delhi, announced that the construction of the airport will commence shortly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy are expected to perform the groundbreaking ceremony together..
The opening of Mamnoor airport is expected to revolutionise the economy of northern Telangana. It will serve as a lifeline and provide a major boost to the Warangal IT hub and the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park by allowing international delegates and investors to fly directly to the city.
Tourism is expected to flourish as international and domestic travellers gain easier access to Unesco World Heritage sites like the Ramappa Temple, the Warangal Fort and the Thousand Pillar Temple. This surge in visitors will boost local hotels, transport services, and create thousands of jobs for local youth.
During World War II, the air strip was handed over by the Nizam government to the British. It was bombed during Operation Polo.