Tirupati Airport runway expansion at 177 crore

Tirupati: The runway expansion of Tirupati airport will be completed by February 2020 at a cost of Rs 177 crore, said the Chairman of Airport Authority of India (AAI) Dr Gruruprasad Mohapatra.

He visited Tirupati airport on Saturday and Sunday and switched on the batch mix plant and thereby started the construction activities for runway extension work which will be extended to 3,810 metres from the present length of 2,286 metres. He said that the airport was being developed for operation of wide bodied aircrafts like B-777 (Code – E aircrafts) for which extension of runway and other associated works were awarded.

A new apron will be constructed to accommodate these wide-bodied aircrafts.The Chairman also inspected the integrated terminal building and said that all the facilities for international operation were available there and Tirupati airport can serve as an alternative airport to Bengaluru and Chennai to ease out air traffic congestion in the above airports or in case of emergency to the nearby airports.

He appreciated the cleanliness being maintained at the terminal building. As part of Swachh Bharath Mission, tree plantation programme was also organised at the airport. Later, he visited the home for differently abled persons ‘Akshaya Kshethram’ near airport and distributed clothes and sweets as part of CSR activity to the inmates on the occasion of upcoming Diwali. Tirupati Airport Director H Pulla was with him.