IAF plans to set up base at Rajamahendravaram

Rajamahendravaram: The city Airport is getting international recognition, as Indian Air Force (IAF) has decidedto make it as its asset positioning base along with Vijayawada Airport.

The Rajamahendravaram Airport is located centrally between state capital Amaravati and Visakhapatnam, the head-quarters of Eastern Naval Command (ENC). It lies just 200 km from ENC head-quarters and will be useful to strengthenvigil all along the East Coast.

The top brass of IAF discussed about their proposed bases with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also, it is learnt. Speaking to The Hans India, here on Tuesday Airport Director M Raj Kishore has said that IAF had asked the state government to allot 14.17 acres of land adjacent to the Airport wall in Madhurapudivillage to construct airbase. The state government reportedly gave its consent to allot the land to IAF.

The proposed airbase will be linked up with the present runway of the airport and war crafts andhelicopters will be kept there and disaster management facility will alsobe provided. At the time of wars, natural calamities etc, the IAF uses the runway for its operations.

It will be convenient to go to other places and help the people at the time of natural calamities and also during wars,he said. The Airport will get more security as IAF's base is adjacent to it.

At present, as many as 18 services are being operated from the Airport to Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. Shortly new services will also be introduced to Shridi,Mumbai and other important parts of thecountry. Night landing facility is also available in the airport and after the expansion of runway bigger air craftsalso can land in the Airport.