Hyderabad: Aviation experts say that developing large number of airports will spur development, though it might not be feasible to have more than two or three international airports in one state.
The new AP government had gone overboard promising a slew of airports every 100 or 150 kilometres, but experts say that only a small airport every few hundred kilometres is possible. The NDA government’s mandate aimed at improving connectivity is expected to help development, investment, as well as tourism.
International airports require a minimum of 9,000 metres of runway. Most states across the country have one or two international airports, only a few have three international airports. “Currently, there are almost 16 airstrips in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, some of which are dysfunctional.
In the AP Reorganization Act the Centre had promised three international airports to Andhra Pradesh in Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati.
While Vijayawada already has international facilities, it is not yet a full-fledged one. The NDA manifesto stressed on improving connectivity, with low cost airports every few 100 kilometres, but the exact number of airports planned in AP is unclear as AP has not yet submitted its proposal,” said an official from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The motive behind increasing connectivity is to fuel faster economic growth by facilitating quick travel to remote areas. Small airports can actually be beneficial, according to officials.
"The investment required for setting up an airport would be about Rs100crore (for day and night operations) for facilitating 20-seaters, helicopters and private jets. Which will enable industrialists to visit remote parts of the state and create a balance in regional development," added the official.
Meanwhile, many are looking at small airports as an infrastructure requirement at par with railways and buses. "It is a public requirement and once a small airport is created, the demand will increase automatically. It is a feasible option,in fact, in the US each city has four airports at four corners of the city apart from an international airport. We should not look at everything from a commercial angle, or else how do we justify constructing a 200-bed hospital in a district. When the need arises the infrastructure needs to be provided," said V. Umesh, managing director of Turbo Aviation.
