Kadapa airport in Andhra Pradesh, developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at a cost of Rs.42 crore, is to be inaugurated on June 7. The first flight will land from Bengaluru at 11.30 a.m. on the day, an official release from the Centre announced on Thursday.
Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu are scheduled to participate in the airport inauguration.
Air connectivity to Kadapa is expected to enhance the business potential and employment opportunities besides providing impetus to the economic growth of the city and the region.
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As part of the development, undertaken by the AAI as part of the focus on promoting regional and remote area connectivity in Tier-II and III cities, Kadapa airport got a new, compact pre-fabricated terminal building that can handle 100 passengers at a time. The runway is capable of handling ATR-72 type aircraft operations, while the new apron can accommodate three such aircraft.
Depending on growth in passenger traffic, expansion and upgradation of the Kadapa Airport will be undertaken to handle A320 type aircraft operations. Andhra Pradesh Government has made available 520 acres for the airport development, the release said.
The inauguration of the airport was on the cards for sometime. In an interaction with presspersons at the opening of MRO facility recently, Mr.Raju had said that Air Pegasus was likely to operate flights between Kadapa and Bengaluru. Air Pegasus has opened bookings. While the flight departs Begaluru at 10.40 a.m. in the return direction it leaves Kadapa at 11.50 a.m. to reach Bengaluru at 12.35 p.m.
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In its Socio Economic Survey 2014-15, the State Government said towards promoting balanced regional development across the State and improving linkage between the capital and other districts it has decided to develop non-metro airports.
The survey said the government had entered into memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AAI for upgradation/modernisation of non-metro airports at Vijayawada, Tirupati, Kadapa and Rajahmundry.
Under the agreement, Andhra Pradesh Government will provide additional land required for the project free of cost to AAI. It would also supply water and electricity and provide security arrangement free of cost for five years.