IAF agrees to civil aircraft operations from Adilabad airfield

Hyderabad, April 2 (IANS) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed, in principle, to the proposal of the Telangana government to begin civil aircraft operations from the Adilabad airfield.

The Ministry of Defence has communicated the approval to the state Special Chief Secretary, Transport, Roads and Buildings Department.

It said that the state government’s request for the development of Adilabad Airport for civil operations has been examined in consultation with the IAF. The IAF envisages setting up a training establishment at the location in future. However, it considered the request and agreed in principle to the proposal for civil aircraft operations from Adilabad airfield.

"IAF suggested that the said airfield could be developed as a joint-use airfield with the AAI acquiring contiguous land for the civil terminal, aircraft parking apron and other infrastructure. The runway would need to be resurfaced and civil apron connected to the runway with link taxi tracks," reads the communication from Sanap Bajirao Ramnath, Director IAF.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) may be requested to submit a detailed proposal for issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the IAF.

This development came a month after the Centre gave its approval for the Mamnoor Airport in the Warangal district.

Last month, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had met Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and urged him to speed up the pre-approval process for airports at Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Adilabad, Peddapalli and Nizamabad.

Ram Mohan Naidu stated that in some areas, there are restrictions because of the activity of the Indian Air Force and the Ministry of Defence. Their permissions have to be taken for building the airports, he told a press conference in Hyderabad on March 2.

On the Bhadradri Kothagudem airport, the Civil Aviation Minister said the site identified by the state government in the past was not found feasible due to hills and geographical structures. The state government then proposed an alternate location, and the AAI team, which conducted feasibility studies, sought some data from the India Meteorological Department and the state government.

--IANS

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