Donakonda, a sleepy village in Prakasam district, had been active during the British era till World War II in view of its strategic location to fuel aircraft. But, in the Independent India, it fell into disuse over a period.
However, Prakasam District Collector V.Vinay Chand says that plans of the Airports Authority of India(AAI) are now afoot to revive the airfield into a no-frills airport coinciding with the State government’s proposal to promote a ₹5000 crore Donakonda Industrial city. He adds that they have identified 300 acres of land in the village for the project.
A detailed project report(DPR) has also been submitted through Bhogapuram International Airport Company Ltd.,(BIACL), a special purpose vehicle promoted by the government to develop a string of airports in the State, he told The Hindu .
“To start with, the British era airstrip will be revived at a cost of about ₹30 crore to facilitate landing of smaller aircraft and will be expanded in phases depending upon aerospace and other projects taking concrete shape in the Donakonda Industrial Park being promoted by the State government,” he explained.
