HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has sanctioned ₹2,278.14 crore for the acquisition of 2,009.23 acres of land for the proposed Adilabad Airport, which will be developed as a joint-user facility for civilian and Indian Air Force (IAF) operations.
According to orders issued by Special Chief Secretary (Transport and Roads & Buildings) Vikas Raj, 1,609.23 acres will be acquired for the IAF, while the remaining 400 acres will be used for a civil aviation enclave, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, cargo operations and aircraft hangars.
The airport will be jointly developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the IAF to cater to passenger services, cargo movement, IAF training, MRO activities and other aviation-related operations.
The project gathered pace after the Ministry of Defence submitted a report on May 26, based on a joint survey of the proposed site, recommending the construction of a 9,000-foot runway.
The IAF, which already owns 369.45 acres at the proposed site, sought an additional 1,500 acres adjoining the existing land to establish a full-fledged training facility. It also requested the State government to acquire the land and hand it over free of cost.
The Telangana government conveyed its approval for the project to the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on May 30 and requested them to identify the required land.
Subsequently, an IAF team visited Adilabad on June 17 and finalised the land proposed for acquisition by marking its coordinates.
The proposed airport is expected to strengthen regional air connectivity, support defence infrastructure and boost economic development in northern Telangana.
