The state of Telangana has only one airport, Shamshabad that too it is an international airport. Any person who wants to take a flight will have to come all the way to Hyderabad from any corner of the state. In order to ease this trouble, the state government has proposed to set up six domestic airports and has asked the help of Airport Authority of India (AAI).
Before Shamshabad, Hyderabad had airport in Begumpet but it is not being used for commercial operations. Now the state government wants domestic airports in Adilabad, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Peddpalli and Warangal. Several years back Nizamabad, Peddapalli and Warangal had airports but later they were shut. The government has proposed to revive the old ones and establish the new ones as greenfield and brownfield airports respectively.
AAI has already done its aerial survey on the proposed places. Union Ministry of Defence is willing to develop airport in Adilabad while the AAI is showing interest in Warangal. However as per the agreement with GMR, no airport should be established within 150 kilometres radius whereas the distance between in Hyderabad and Warangal is approximately 145 kilometres.
The state government has asked the AAI to suggest, if the developments of airports are to be taken in public-private partnership (PPP) or solely by the state government or by any other option. The AAI is looking into the possibilities of Telangana government’s proposals and also examining remote sensing, GIS mapping and the nature of land for landing and take-off at these places.