Centre Clears Three International Airports For AP

In a major boost to airport infrastructure and air connectivity in Andhra Pradesh, the Government Of India today gave clearance for the construction of three international airstrips in the State - at Bhogapuram in the Vizianagaram district, Dhagadarthi in the Nellore district and Orvakal in the Kurnool district.

At a high-level meeting held at New Delhi today, and attended by ministers and officials of seven union ministries including civil aviation, environment & forest, home affairs, economic affairs and others, AP Principal Secretary Ajay Jain gave a presentation which detailed the need for having these airports in the coastal State.

In the presentation, Jain showed how opening up more air routes between destinations in AP and cities abroad would lead to the generation of significant revenues for the Centre and the State through inflow of foreign direct investments to and establishment of business clusters in the region. He said that AP could become a transit for several nations trying to cross the Indian Ocean air route, saving time and money, and also freeing up the congestion at the Hyderabad and Chennai airports.

Upon analyzing the presentation and the data provided by the Secretary, the union ministers signed a document approving the establishment of the three airfields.

Secretary to the Civil Aviation Ministry Rajiv Nayan Choubey appreciated the efforts of the AP government in persuading the Centre and for taking interest in making the State and southern India an international transit destination.

Speaking to the media later on the details of the airports, the Secretary said, "The Bhogapuram international airport will be built 40 km north-east of Visakhapatnam by the Bhogapuram International Airport Company Limited (BIACL) on 5,311 acres of land in and around Bhogapuram. The project will be taken up under Public Private Partnership (PPP), with the State holding a major stake in the land. 2,000 acres of the 2,800 acres needed for the project have been acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The Nellore and Orvakal airstrips will be developed under a low-cost airport model by the BIACL. Tenders for the projects have been floated and the contractors will be selected soon."

Expressing his satisfaction over the development, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashoka Gajapathi Raju for their cooperation and support, and reiterated that the airports were a boon for the economic development of the three districts and also for the overall development of the State. He expressed hope that the airports would attract a lot of investments from domestic and international companies.