Aviation Ministry sets 2-yr deadline for Rajamahendravaram airport expansion

Rajamahendravaram: The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set a deadline of two years for completion of airport terminal expansion work at Madhurapudi at Rajamahendravaram (erstwhile Rajahmundry), the cultural hub of Andhra Pradesh.

The total cost of the airport modernisation is around Rs 350 crore. The terminal is handling 1,000 passengers per day-much more than the capacity. Once the expansion is completed, the capacity will go up to 2,100 passengers per day. The terminal building will be 400 times more than the existing building increasing to17,029 square meters. There are efforts by the ministry to get 5-star GRIHA rating by featuring eco-friendly thermal insulation, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment plant and other energy efficiency initiatives.

GRIHA rating is done by India’s national rating system developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) with the endorsement by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for green buildings.

“We will be shortly introducing direct flights to Delhi, Shirdi, Tirupati and other places to meet the growing demand,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said after a review meeting with Rajamahendravaram MP and BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari, MLAs Adireddy Srinivasu, Bathula Balakrishna, District Collector P Prashanti, Airport Director S Gnyaneshwar Rao and others.

Earlier, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during one of his visits to Delhi, had asked Rammohan Naidu to expedite work on Bhogapuram International Airport in Vizianagaram district and extend support to the expansion of facilities at Rajamahendravaram, Vijayawada and Tirupati airports and take up greenfield airports at Srikakulam, Dagadarthi, Kuppam and Nagarjunasagar. While Srikakulam is represented by the Minister in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Minister is the elected representative from Kuppam Assembly segment. During launching of Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport here along with Airport Authority of India Chairman M Suresh, he indicated that the Puttaparthi Airport might be converted into a government-run airport. After visiting Bhogapuram, he said the international airport work is being fast-tracked with periodical review of work.

During the review meeting at Rajamahendravaram, he said measures should be taken to bring back the glory to the Madhurapudi Airport in the Godavari belt and popularise locally available products.

Airport Director Gyaneshwar explained to him in detail the works being undertaken under Phase 1 of the airport terminal development and said that they are undertaking various works at a cost of Rs173.23 crore. After administrative sanction, work has been launched since August 18, 2023. The Union Minister made it clear that the project has to be completed within a period of two year. To complete it before the deadline set by the ministry, the works specified in the work order should be completed and handed over by August 11, 2025. The Union Minister directed officials to prepare a plan for the development of the new terminal building and submit a progress report every week.

He said that the Centre is committed to complete greenfield and brownfield airport projects with the patronage from the State in a time-bound manner. He said Rajamahendravaram Airport will be turned into one of the biggest airports in the country.