Kadapa, Warangal Airports to be developed

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (UNI) A Memorandum of Understanding for development of the airports at Kadapa and Warangal will be signed in the first week of February between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Andhra Pradesh Government.

According to a press release from the Chief Minister's Office, the facilities in these airports would be renovated and upgraded.

Techno-economic feasibility study for Greenfield airports at Nellore, Ongole, Ramagundam and Tadepalligudem would also be taken up by the AAI with assistance from the state through the Investment and Infrastructure Department.

These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on the development of new airports at the Secretariat today with departments concerned.

Construction and renovation of the Kadapa and Warangal airports would be completed within two years, and it was expected that commercial flights would start operations there by the end of December 2007, the CMO said.

Meanwhile, expansion of existing airports at Visakhapatnam, Gannavaram, Rajahmundry, Tirupati and Puttaparthi was being taken up. Kingfisher Airlines would start commercial operations to Puttaparthi from January 22.

As far as the Rajv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad was concerned, the project was progressing well and 60 per cent of the project was already completed, the release added.

At Visakhapatnam Airport, various works for upgradation were in progress and the new runway had been constructed and recarpeting of the existing runway was scheduled to be completed by this month end. Night-landing facility, including installation of instrument landing system work, was in progress.

The AAI, Airport Manager, Hyderabad, DGP Hyderabad and Chief Commissioner of Customs, Hyderabad bad been addressed for making arrangements for providing customs and immigration facilities in the existing Terminal Building to cater to limited International Flights.

UNI