Always within reach but beyond grasp

Warangal : A thud and rumble of aircraft taking off and landing will soon be a reality at the Mamnoor Airfield near Warangal. The revival of Mamnoor Airport has always appeared so close yet remained an elusive dream for the people. However, it appears that decks have been cleared and the airport is to become operational by the end of 2024 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-Udan).

According to sources, the GMR Group has given its consent to lift the Exclusivity Clause - 5.2.2 that says no new or existing airport shall be permitted to be developed as, or improved or upgraded into, a domestic airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad before 2029. Presently, the Mamnoor airfield has around 706 acres, as against the requirement of at least 900 acres, as specified by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The onus is on the State Government to acquire the remaining land required for the airfield.

Last year, a team of officials from the Revenue, the AAI, and the Survey and Land Records department inspected Nakkalapally, Gadepalli, and Mamnoor villages under Fort Warangal mandal adjacent to the existing airstrip for the acquirement of 271 acres. There was also a proposal to swap government land measuring 373.02 acres, currently under the possession of PV Narasimha Rao Veterinary University, with the farmers in lieu of their land acquired for the airstrip. It’s learnt that the extension of the existing runway from 1.8 km to 3.9 km is a must for operating Boeing airplanes.

The 1930-commissioned Mamnoor airfield became dysfunctional in the mid-1980s. Since then, it has become only a subject of interest for politicians rather than an issue that has to be resolved for the development of Warangal.