Central Site Clearance Granted for Kuppam and Srikakulam Airports in India

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 7, India's Ministry of Civil Aviation approved the site selection applications for two new airports in Kuppam and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) subsequently advanced research on the project implementation model and preparations for selecting developers. The two airports are located in Chittoor District and Srikakulam District respectively. About 1,788 acres of construction land has been identified for Kuppam Airport, while approximately 1,186 acres is planned for Srikakulam Airport, with the latter scheduled for completion in 2030.

Kuppam Airport is located in Chittoor District in southern Andhra Pradesh, near the border area where Karnataka and Tamil Nadu meet. The project plans to use 1,788 acres (approximately 723 hectares) of land, of which about 1,300 acres (approximately 526 hectares) have been acquired. According to the construction plan proposed by the state government, the airport will be implemented in two phases, with an estimated investment of INR 7.34 billion for Phase I and a combined estimated investment of INR 11.421 billion for both phases. Land acquisition and infrastructure construction are allocated INR 1.9875 billion and INR 1.46 billion respectively.

The next phase for Kuppam Airport will focus on determining the investment, construction, and operation model. APADCL has submitted an implementation plan to the state government and is comparing the landlord model, in which the government retains airport ownership, with the public-private partnership model. According to information from the Public-Private Partnership Project Database of India's Ministry of Finance, the airport project is being advanced by APADCL with an estimated investment of INR 7.34 billion. Its current status is ready for tender, with the tender expected to be launched in fiscal year 2026–2027. After the state government determines the implementation model, it will further notify India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and issue a request for proposal document to initiate the selection of a development agency.

Srikakulam Airport is located in Palasa region in northern Andhra Pradesh, with planned land of approximately 1,185.56 acres (approximately 480 hectares). The estimated investment for Phase I construction is approximately INR 7.5052 billion, and the local government has set a completion target of 2030. The airport is close to the planned Mulapeta Greenfield Port, and regional planning links it with the port and surrounding industrial layout, enabling it to handle local air passenger and cargo demand in the future.

The preliminary work for Srikakulam Airport also involves the airport master plan, air passenger and cargo demand forecasting, engineering feasibility study, and construction model assessment. Subsequent design needs to determine the runway scale, taxiways, aprons, passenger terminal, and cargo facility configuration based on forecast traffic volumes, and complete the corresponding land, environmental, and other approval procedures.

The two airports are part of the nine-airport development plan proposed by Andhra Pradesh. In addition to Kuppam and Srikakulam, the plan also includes Amaravati, Anantapur, Ongole, Dagadarthi, Nagarjuna Sagar, Tuni–Annavaram, and Tadepalligudem. The state government previously proposed that the nine airport projects have an overall investment scale of approximately INR 64.18 billion.