REVIVING MAMNOOR AIRPORTI 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, reports NIDHI SHARMA

- NIDHI SHARMA

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.