Ongole : A team of officials from the Civil Aviation Department, and Airports Authority of India visited Ongole to conduct a feasibility study for a new airport at Allur in Kothapatnam mandal on Wednesday.

Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, MLA Damamcharla Janardhana Rao, Mayor Gangada Sujatha, and district officials participated in the programme.

MP Magunta and MLA Damacharla explained that an airport in Ongole is a long-time dream of the locals, and the MP took the initiative in this regard in 2006.

They said that about 550 acres of land have been identified at Allur for the airport, and the DGCA has already approved it.

They explained that the land was involved in legal issues with the VANPIC project, but the recent judgment by the Telangana High Court has detached the same from ED. They said that the team including officials and engineering experts visited the location to conduct the feasibility inspection, including the soil test.

The MP and MLA informed that the Union civil aviation minister is in support of the project, and the Ongole airport will be in the five new airports in the state. They said that the smaller aircraft ATR72s would ply from Ongole in the beginning and would be upgraded later.

They said that the airport is considered vital for the development of the Prakasam district, due to the presence of industries like granite, aquaculture, and tobacco.

It would improve connectivity to major cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore, and the airport could also act as a convenient hub for those travelling to and from the proposed Ramayapatnam port, as they expected.