While a Greenfield International Airport is already being ready at Bhogapuram in Visakhapatnam by 2026, Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government is now preparing the ground for the establishment of another greenfield airport in Amaravati. It has proposed to establish a Greenfield airport in Srikakulam as well.
Besides tall claims, even after formation of coalition government in the state the works in Amaravati are yet to get momentum. Except bold assurances, the state government has not received even a single rupee either from the central government or from external financial institutions for the capital.
Minister for Municipal Administration Dr P. Narayana himself has announced several times that the work in Amaravati will start from December 2024. But the pace of work in this direction has not increased anywhere. At this time, the AP government is taking steps towards establishing a Greenfield International Airport in Srikakulam along with Amaravati.
In this regard, the Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation has recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to prepare a Technical and Financial Feasibility Report (TEFR) for the establishment of this airport. The newly selected consultant will have to submit his report on issues such as how much it will cost to set up a new international airport in Amaravati, how much traffic is likely to be there and is there a chance of an MRO facility along with the airport.
A deadline of 32 weeks has been set for this. The consultant company will have to select the right site for the airport. Along with this, the proposed project concept master plan, financial model, project structure will also have to be suggested. Environmental and social impact reports will also have to be prepared.
Moreover, the cooperation will also be required to obtain permissions from various government agencies, the RFP states. Along with this, the possibilities of setting up aerospace and defense manufacturing units in the proposed area should also be studied.
A report should be prepared on how the demand for passenger traffic as well as cargo traffic at the Amaravati International Airport will be in the next 35 years. The consultant should also suggest whether this project should be taken up in PPP or joint venture mode?
It is known that the Civil Aviation Minister at the Centre is Ram Mohan Naidu from Srikakulam district. Now, it is not clear how far these two greenfield airport projects will progress in the coming time.
