Experts Remain Sceptical of Telangana’s Plan to Build New Airports

Hyderabad: Even as the Telangana government pushes ahead with plans to develop airports at Adilabad, Warangal, Kothagudem, Ramagundam, Nizamabad, and Mahbubnagar to enhance air connectivity, questions are being raised over the long-term viability and optimal utilisation of these facilities.

“The government’s intention is good, but how far the public can be motivated to patronise regional flights can only be gauged one or two years after operations begin,” observed a retired air traffic controller, requesting anonymity.

Retired aviation professionals caution that the new airports may face similar challenges in terms of technical limitations, passenger patronage, accessibility, local business viability, and overall mobility patterns that smaller airports in Andhra Pradesh at Kurnool and Kadapa, have been facing.

“In Andhra Pradesh, four major airports at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Rajahmundry have remained functional for decades, but the two newer ones — Kadapa and Kurnool — have not yet achieved the same level of traffic. The number of flights per day remains minimal,” he added.

Aviation researchers and analysts argue that Telangana’s airport push, though aligned with the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme of the Central government, might not fully align with the rapid technological transformation in global aviation.

“Companies across the world are developing electric and propeller-driven aircraft — not only to enhance fuel efficiency but also to address environmental concerns,” notes Srujan Chowdary Panda, aviation enthusiast and author of The Mayday. “In smaller cities, propeller-based and hybrid-electric aircraft are becoming more common, requiring shorter runways, causing less turbulence, and posing lower risks of bird strikes.”

According to officials of the transport, roads and buildings (airports) wing, major progress has been made at Warangal, Peddapalli, and Adilabad. Earlier this month, the state cleared acquisition of over 280 acres for expanding Warangal’s Mamnoor airport, at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 300 crore, of which Rs 90 crore has already been released.

The government has also sanctioned Rs 40.53 lakh for a pre-feasibility study of a proposed greenfield airport at Anthergoan in Peddapalli district, with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) appointed as consultant. The site spans 591.24 acres, and the consultancy fee has been fixed at Rs 40.5 lakh.

At Adilabad, a 3-km runway is planned on land under Indian Army control, following an approval from the defence ministry for joint civilian–military use earlier this year. The AAI has completed a master plan, and the State has cleared the project to handle Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. This makes it the second airport, after Warangal, to receive full approval.

Historically, Adilabad already has an airstrip dating back to the Nizam era at Shantinagar.

“When VIPs visit, they use the helipad there. The IAF, which controls the 369 acres of land, had long sought to convert it into an Air Force station. The State proposed a joint-use airport, and the IAF issued a no-objection certificate. An additional 250–300 acres are now being acquired to support the project,” officials explained.

The AAI has conducted a Techno-Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR) for the Nizamabad airport, while the proposed sites at Kothagudem and Mahbubnagar continue to face significant logistical and environmental hurdles.