With the Centre backing the development of three greenfield airports in Andhra Pradesh at Bhogapuram in Vizianagram, Dhagadarthi in Nellore and Orvakal in Kurnool, the State has floated tenders for the airports and expects to finalise them shortly.

While seeking early clearances to execute them, Ajay Jain, State Principal Secretary, Energy and Industries, said the development of these three airports would provide a major boost to the State and pave the way for the overall economic development by attracting investments.

Expressing satisfaction over the Centre’s clearance, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju for the support extended for the development of these airports.

Ajay Jain, who had taken part in a high-level meeting in New Delhi, attended by representatives of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Economic Affairs, said the air connectivity would help create business clusters. The Bhogapuram International Airport, a greenfield airport project about 40 km from Visakhapatnam, is proposed to come up on a 5,311-acre site. It will be built by the Bhogapuram International Airport Company Ltd (BIACL), a special purpose vehicle owned by the government.

PPP model

The project will be taken up in the public-private partnership mode with the State holding stake through landholdings.

Out of 2,800-acre land acquisition, consent has been received for 2,000 acres so far. The Nellore airport and Orvakal airport will be developed under a low-cost airport model by the BIACL along with Bhogapuram airport.

Tenders to be floated for selection of developers for these three airports are under finalisation, Ajay Jain said.

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