No proposal received for Greenfield airport, Says Civil aviation minister

Hyderabad: The Union minister of civil aviation, Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, has stated that the ministry has not received any proposal for the construction of a Greenfield airport at Ramagundam of Peddapalli district.

The response came in a letter addressed to Lok Sabha MP Vamsi Krishna Gaddam, who had inquired about the establishment of a domestic airport in the region.

In the letter dated January 29, the minister clarified that the existing Basanthnagar Airport (Ramagundam) is a non-operational airstrip with minimal infrastructure, limited to a small helipad.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had conducted a Techno-Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR), which indicated that the development of Basanth Nagar Airport may not be feasible due to its location amidst high hills, causing obstacles in flight approaches.

Additionally, its proximity to the Indian Air Force’s restricted airspace requires clearance from the Ministry of Defence.

The minister further mentioned that the Government of India (GoI) follows the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008, which outlines guidelines for establishing new airports. As per the policy, a State Government or airport developer must identify a suitable site, conduct a Pre-feasibility Study, and seek approvals for ‘Site Clearance’ and ‘In-Principle’ approval before moving forward.

However, no such proposal has been submitted for Ramagundam.

The civil aviation minister assured that if a request is received in the future, it will be evaluated under the provisions of the Greenfield Airports Policy.