The repeated assertion of the Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to construct a second airport at Shamirpet on the city outskirts may not be tenable, given the clause in the Concession Agreement signed between Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL) and the Government of India.
“In view of the Concession Agreement signed between HIAL and the Government of India, a Greenfield airport at Shamirpet may not be tenable. The Hakimpet airport near Shamirpet is under the control of Indian Air Force,” said Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju in a letter to the Chief Minister some time ago.
Shamirpet is situated at an aerial distance of approximately 34 km from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. The Concession Agreement for development, construction, operation and maintenance of HIAL between Ministry of Civil Aviation and HIAL signed on December 20, 2004, clearly refers to the exclusivity clause.
The obligation of the Government of India Exclusivity clause (5.2.2), says: “No new or existing airport shall be permitted by the GOI to be developed as, or improved or upgraded into, a domestic airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of the airport before the 25th anniversary of the airport opening date.”
The TRS government last year had addressed a letter to the Prime Minister regarding setting up of five new airports in Telangana at Adilabad, Warangal, Kothagudem, Nizamabad and Shamirpet.
The Exclusivity clause may also play spoilsport in case of the proposal to revive the Warangal airport belonging to AAI at Mammanoor, which is non-operational for the past two decades. The airport run is in a dilapidated condition and needs major repairs.
The MoU signed between the then AP government and AAI in 2007 projected additional land requirement of 438 acres for construction of a new airport, apron, passenger terminal building and ATC tower-cum-technical block. The State government is yet to hand over the land. Moreover, the AAI has cautioned that care should be taken before handing over the land, to see that this proposal will not violate Concession Agreements already entered into for development of the airport.
With regard to the Adilabad airport, a survey found that certain manmade obstacles, which are a matter of concern for safety of aircraft operations, needed to be removed. Otherwise, the site identified was found to be suitable for development of an airport.
The Nizamabad airport proposed in Jakranpally mandal was found suitable subject to Obstacle Limitation Surface survey. As the site lies in a restricted air space, the issue of availability of air space for civil use had to be negotiated with the Indian Air Force.
The only solace appears to be the positive response from AAI on Kothagudem Airport at Punukuduchelka. An AAI team is likely to visit the site for pre-feasibility study after the State government sends information sought by the Centre.
