AAI team begins two-day inspection of sites for proposed greenfield airport in Bhadradri

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) initiated a two-day inspection of potential sites for a new greenfield airport in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Monday. The team examined three alternative locations previously identified by the state government. This inspection follows a pre-feasibility study that ruled out two earlier chosen sites as unsuitable for the project.

The district administration had earlier narrowed down the search to five to six alternative locations, which include Seethampeta, Chaparalapalli, and Penagadapa in various mandals, as well as sites in Dummugudem and Palvancha mandals, according to official sources. During the first day of the inspection, the AAI team assessed the three sites, considering factors such as land availability, geographical coordinates, revenue maps, and technical specifications.

The team also held meetings with Khammam MP Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy and district officials to discuss the requirements for a suitable site, which should have a runway length between 2,500 and 2,700 meters to accommodate ATR-72 and Airbus A320/A321 aircraft, along with necessary logistics and infrastructure. The team is scheduled to inspect the remaining sites on Tuesday and is expected to conduct a comprehensive technical feasibility study, subsequently submitting a report to the government.