Warangal Airport: Expansion Project Gains Momentum As Government Forms Joint Inspection Team For Swift Survey Advancement

A joint inspection team has been formed to speed up the survey process, which is a crucial step towards the expansion of the Brownfield Warangal (Mamnoor) airport in Telangana.

The Mamnoor airport with more than one terminal, was the largest such facility during the pre-independence era. At present, the airport has become defunct. However, Warangal has been on the list of proposed airstrips under UDAN, a regional airport connectivity programme.

The villages of Nakkalapalli, Gadepalli, and Mamnoor in Khila Warangal Mandal, which have been recognised as appropriate locations for airport development, include the acreage needed for the airport expansion.

To accommodate larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 747, the current runway must be extended from 1.8 km to 3.9 km.

District Collector P Pravinya stated that the team, which would include representatives from the revenue department, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the Survey and Land Records Department, will build a geo-coordinate-based plan for the requisite 271 acres of land. The team has been given one week to complete the survey.

“The state government is fully committed to rejuvenating the Warangal airport and will provide all necessary support to the AAI,” she affirmed, reports Telangana Today.

The major goal of the survey effort is to precisely locate the additional acreage required for the airport expansion. The collector stated that after the survey is completed, the district administration will begin the process of acquiring land from farmers.

The state government has recognised Mamnoor as a potential airport because of its proximity to a tourist destination and has allocated 950 acres of land to the AAI for the purpose under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.

The collector proposed that the government transfer 373.02 acres of land now managed by P V Narasimha Rao Veterinary University, close to Mamnoor village, to the appropriate tahsildar as compensation for the affected farmers. She proposed that in exchange, the farmers' landholdings may be purchased and given to the AAI.

The airport will improve air connectivity for residents of Warangal and nearby regions, supporting economic growth, attracting investments, and improving tourism.

Since 2018, the Warangal airport has been a focal point of the state government's restoration efforts.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, minister K T Rama Rao, and other public officials have met with the Union Minister of Civil Aviation on multiple occasions in an attempt to resurrect the Mamnoor airport, which halted operations in 1981.

The seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, constructed the airport in 1930 for the convenience of the Sirpur Kaghaznagar enterprises and the Azam Zahi mills in Warangal.

It was used as a hangar for government aircraft during the India-China war because Delhi Airport was a prime target. From Mamnoor, there were a lot of freight flights and Vayudooth services.