Centre Finalises Mamnoor Airport Expansion Plan

Warangal: The Centre has finalised the action plan for expansion of Mamnoor Airport in Warangal, with 953 acres made available for the project and foundation stone-laying scheduled for June 2026.

The project will feature construction of a 2,500-metre runway, positioning the facility as a regional connectivity and pilot training hub in northern Telangana.

The progress was reviewed at a high-level meeting in New Delhi between Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, along with the civil aviation secretary and the chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The ministers reviewed implementation of airport projects in Warangal, Adilabad and Peddapalli districts and directed officials to resolve pending administrative and technical issues to meet timelines.

The Warangal project has entered the final technical phase, with the Design, Scope of Work and Detailed Project Report (DPR) awaiting final approvals. A joint-usage agreement between the ministry of civil aviation and the ministry of defence is being finalised to enable both civilian and specialised operations at the airport.

Officials said the facility is also intended to address the shortage of trained pilots. At present, training activity is concentrated at Hyderabad’s Shamshabad and Begumpet airports and the Dundigal air base. Increased commercial traffic and growth in private aviation have resulted in limited flying slots for trainees.

Trainee pilots face delays in securing Air Traffic Control clearances, and available slots are often insufficient to complete mandatory flying hours. Shifting training operations to Warangal, where traffic levels are lower, is expected to ease scheduling constraints.

At the recent Wings India aviation summit in Hyderabad, experts indicated that India would require around 10,000 additional pilots in the near future in view of large aircraft orders placed by domestic carriers. Officials said the development of infrastructure and permissions at Mamnoor could help meet part of this demand.

Warangal’s proximity to Hyderabad is expected to facilitate movement of instructors, while comparatively lower living costs may reduce training expenses for students.

The Centre has reiterated support for Telangana’s aviation expansion plans. The proposed revival of Mamnoor Airport, along with projects in Adilabad and Peddapalli, is expected to support cargo services and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, provide logistics support to local industry and agriculture, generate technical and ground-handling employment, and improve regional connectivity.