The Hindu : Front Page : New airport to be ready by 2008

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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New airport to be ready by 2008

Special Correspondent

Action plan prepared; work on various seaports and airports reviewed

HYDERABAD: An action plan has been prepared to make the Hyderabad International Airport at Shamshabad here operational by March 2008 as major site-preparation works of the Greenfield airport are complete.

The plan seeks to complete the construction of the main components by November 2007.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy asked officials to complete construction of the access road to the airport from the National Highway 7 by February 2007 and all other connecting roads, including an elevated expressway, as early as possible.

Reviewing the progress of works on different airports and sea ports in the State at a meeting here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister noted that 43 per cent of the overall works of the international airport were over. The boundary wall, a major portion of the runway and taxi ways were almost complete and the project execution was ahead of schedule by a few months.

He also directed officials to launch the necessary follow-up action to implement the decision to develop an international airport at Visakhapatnam for which the Airports Authority of India would shortly conduct a feasibility study.

Small airports

Roads & Buildings Minister J. Rammohan Rao later told reporters that a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been sent to the AAI on developing Rajahmundry and Vijayawada airports and additional land allotted for them. The meeting also considered proposals to develop small airports at Tadepalligudem, Nellore and Kadapa. Night landing facility would be made available at Tirupati airport soon.

The Minister said work was in full swing on the Rs. 1,800-crore Gangavaram Port near Visakhapatnam being set up as world class multi-purpose facility to handle ships of up to 2,30,000 DWT capacity.

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