Reviving Mamnoor Airport: Telangana’s Gateway to Regional and Global Connectivity

• Mamnoor Airport, once India’s largest pre-Independence airport, is set for a transformative revival, marking a significant milestone for Telangana’s aviation sector. 

• With ₹205 crore sanctioned for expansion, the airport aims to accommodate international aircraft and boost connectivity, tourism, and economic growth in the region.

A significant milestone for Telangana’s aviation sector is on the horizon as Warangal gears up to join the global aviation network. Its Mamnoor Airport is set to undergo a major transformation, soon enabling it to accommodate international aircraft like Boeing and Airbus.

Mamnoor Airport once celebrated as India’s largest airport before Independence, has remained dormant for over 40 years. However, after decades of delays, the long-awaited revival of the airport in Warangal, which predated Hyderabad’s Begumpet Airport and served as a crucial hub for both civilian and military aviation, is finally moving closer to fruition.

The Telangana State government recently sanctioned ₹205 crore for acquiring 280.30 acres of land required to expand Mamnoor Airport. Located approximately 170 km from Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Mamnoor is set to become the first of six planned airports in Telangana to begin operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-Udan).

This largest pre-Independence airport was built by the Nizams in Mamnoor village, Hanamkonda Mandal, in Warangal district (then Andhra Pradesh). Established in 1930 by the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, it was part of a broader initiative to support businesses, including the paper industry in Sirpur Kaghaznagar and the Azam Zahi mills in Warangal. During the Indo-China War, it served as a hangar for government aircraft, as Delhi Airport was a target. Additionally, Mamnoor Airport was a hub for cargo services and Vayudooth operations. It hosted numerous Prime Ministers and Presidents until 1981, when it ceased operations due to a lack of development efforts. Further, land sharks’ encroachment reduced the airfield’s available area from around 1,140 acres to just 693 acres.

Currently, the aerodrome is being utilised as an NCC Training Centre by the No. 4(A) Air Squadron NCC Warangal, where activities such as gliding sorties, skeet shooting, and aeromodelling are conducted, as no scheduled commercial air services are operating at the moment.

While local residents continued to fight for the development of the airport to meet current AAI specifications, media reports indicated that political leaders and other public representatives had been allegedly colluding with corporations to repurpose the land for other uses. It has also been claimed that suggestions were made to transfer the land to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to establish a helicopter manufacturing facility. However, this proposal was strongly criticised by the people of Warangal district and opposition leaders.

It was in July 2022, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced its readiness to develop Mamnoor Airport to support A-320 type aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations.

Now, the airport is set to undergo infrastructure upgrades to match the standards of the country’s top terminals, enabling it to accommodate aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. The first phase of the project will allow the operation of flights of a small distance from the airport. In the second phase, the airport will enable passengers to travel to destinations like Delhi, Bangalore, and more.

To facilitate the expansion, the state government has authorised the Warangal District Collector to procure the necessary land, including parcels in villages like Gadipally, Gunturpally, Nakkalapally, and Mamnoor itself. This is despite regulations preventing the establishment of new airports within a 150-km radius of Shamshabad airport until 2038. There were media reports stating that the government, with the assistance of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, persuaded the management of the GMR Group to lift the clause prohibiting the establishment of airports within 150 km, clearing the way for the development of Mamnoor Airport. 

While addressing a rally sometime back, the Chief Minister of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy, declared that the new airport would bring about a significant transformation in the development of Warangal city. “Many states have more than two airports, some even four or five. But Telangana has only one airport so far. Now, the AAI has given the nod for developing the airport at Mamnoor in Warangal, which will go a long way in the development of northern Telangana,” the Chief Minister had said.

The project gained momentum after the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport Limited issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for Mamnoor Airport’s operation, enabling the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to move forward with development plans. The Roads and Buildings Department has directed the AAI to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the airport’s construction.

A comprehensive master plan has been finalised for operating A320-type aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Mamnoor Airport has already secured a No Objection Certificate (NOC) as part of a concession agreement between Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, now doing away with the agreement as per which the development or upgrading of any new or existing airport into a domestic or international facility within a 150-kilometre radius of HIAL until the 25th anniversary of its opening was not allowed.

“It (AAI) has come forward to bear the infrastructure cost, operational and maintenance of the proposed airport. A master plan has been prepared for the operation of A-320 type of aircraft for which an additional land measuring 253 acres is required from the state government of Telangana, free of cost and free from all encumbrances,” the order said.

The development plan includes the initial construction of an ATC tower, security infrastructure, and an administrative building, along with a new runway designed to meet the technical and safety standards specified by the DGCA under the Aircraft Act. Following the launch of domestic operations, the airport will be further upgraded to align with global standards, enabling international passenger and cargo services. This will include a ₹1,200 crore investment and an additional 300 acres of land so that the runway can be extended from 1.8 km to 3.9 km.

Industry watchers claim that the revival of Mamnoor Airport is expected to bring numerous benefits to the region, such as improved connectivity to major cities and international destinations, boosting economic development through increased tourism and trade, and generating employment opportunities in aviation, logistics, and related sectors.

Since its formation, Telangana has consistently experienced rapid growth, with a remarkable 70 per cent increase in economic output over the past decade, largely driven by the services sector centred around Hyderabad. However, this growth has resulted in regional disparities, leading to uneven development across various districts. 

This will be the second airport in the state, which currently has only one while neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has several.

Further, the state government has decided to establish airports at Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Ramagundam in the near future. The process of developing these airports has already begun, with plans for them to become operational within the next four years.