Pact signed for Nellore greenfield airport development
The state government has signed agreement with SCL-Turbo Consortium of NIAL (Nellore International Airport Private Ltd) for the development of greenfield airport at Dagadarthi of Nellore district. This will be the first airport project to be developed in the new state of Andhra Pradesh on private-public partnership (PPP) basis.
Amaravati: The state government has signed agreement with SCL-Turbo Consortium of NIAL (Nellore International Airport Private Ltd) for the development of greenfield airport at Dagadarthi of Nellore district. This will be the first airport project to be developed in the new state of Andhra Pradesh on private-public partnership (PPP) basis.
The agreement was signed at the Secretariat on Thursday by Managing Director of AP Airport Development Corporation Ltd (APADCL) and Managing Director of NAIL in the presence of Principal Secretary to energy, I&I and APCRDA Ajay Jain. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu may lay foundation stone for the Dagadarthi airport works in July or August.
Ajay Jain said the commercial operations from Dagadarthi Airport were expected to commence by January 2020. The airport will be located 25 km from Nellore town and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials in a recent collectors’ conference to change the name as Nellore Airport.
Ajay Jain said that the Nellore airport would be a catalyst for the socio- economic, tourism and industrial development of Nellore district and adjoining regions. Numerous industries in the region would be able to import and export products to other Indian cities and global destinations, he said.
Dagadarthi airport is envisaged to be a low cost no-frills airport to be developed in the Nellore district on public-private- partnership (PPP) basis. It will be developed in the extent of 1,352 acres at a cost of Rs 368 crore.
The airport would be designed with a handling capacity of 1.9 million passengers per annum and 55,000 metric tonnes of cargo per annum in the ultimate phase. It will have a runway length of 3,150 m to handle category 4E wide body passenger and cargo aircraft operations.
Ajay Jain said that the air connectivity spread out to even ‘Tier 2’cities will help economic development of Andhra Pradesh. It would spur industrial development leading to employment opportunities. “Chief Minister has emphasised the need for Investments and Infrastructure (I&I) Department to expedite the progress of airports under construction by taking all possible measures in a time bound manner”, Ajay Jain said.
The government is considering Nellore will become the next industrial hub if it will utilise the facilities of this airport and it could be a major gateway in the South India for cargo handling operations. It would also play a key role in enhancing the regional air connectivity in the state. “We expect that the airport will trigger new investment opportunities in the region along with creation of job opportunities”, Jain said.
