Madhurapudi Airport

The new year is likely to see the long-pending demand of air passengers of Andhra's coastal districts turn into reality with the commissioning of the Madhurapudi airport near Rajahmundry. The construction of a control tower and the terminal building of international standards have been completed. The new structures would be inaugurated in the beginning of the new year. Sources said the night landing facility at the airport too would become operational very soon. Apart from catering to the needs of the passengers, the airport will also check the Maoist activities in north Telangana and the Andhra-Orissa border as the state government’s proposed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) would be based here. The new terminal building, control tower and other constructions were completed at an estimated cost of Rs 38 crore. The authorities are planning to extend the existing runway from 1,749 metres to 3,000 metres so that bigger aircraft can land.