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Gannavaram airport runway runs into land woes
Land acquisition is posing a major hurdle for the Airports Authority of India for extension of Gannavaram airport runway from 7500 meters to 10,000 meters. Once land is acquired, it would take two years to extend the runway, authorities said.
Vijayawada: Land acquisition is posing a major hurdle for the Airports Authority of India for extension of Gannavaram airport runway from 7500 meters to 10,000 meters. Once land is acquired, it would take two years to extend the runway, authorities said.
The extension of runway will help bigger aircrafts to operate from Gannavaram and that would result in lower fares for passengers. Though the passenger traffic at Gannavaram airport touched three lakh, only three operators are operating flights to Gannavaram.
Due to non extension of the runway, only smaller and medium size aircrafts are being operated at present. As the state government is at present functioning from Vijayawada, there is huge demand for flight tickets on holidays and festival season. Taking advantage of this the operators are charging anywhere between Rs 2000 to Rs10, 000 per ticket during holidays and special occasions.
The airport authorities are now able to provide landing and parking facility for only six flights i.e. Four A321 aircraft and two ATR flights at the same time at the airport. Efforts are on to provide parking facility for another nine flights by the end of July 2016. They are not able to provide landing and parking facility for bigger flights with more than 300 seating capacity due to inadequate runway and parking facility.
The revenue department has given notification to get 1229 acres through the land pooling by March 21. So far, only 320 farmers gave consent letters to give the land, said a local revenue officer. The State government is offering 1000 square yards site in residential zone and 450 square yards site in commercial zone in CRDA limits to the farmers for each acre of land they would give as part of land pooling.
A senior officer of Gannavaram airport said that it would take two years time for extension of the runway. Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation president (elect) Muthavarapu Muralikrishna said the flight charges will automatically come down when competition increases in the airline industry. He said the district administration is conducting meetings with farmers to convince them to give the land for the development of the airport.
