Kothagudem Airport in Telangana Gets Fresh Site Assessment for Alternative Locations
A central technical team will inspect alternative sites for the proposed Kothagudem airport in Telangana on September 7, marking a fresh stage in the state's long-pending regional aviation plan. Two locations reviewed earlier were found unsuitable due to technical constraints, prompting the state to propose four to five new alternatives for evaluation.
The proposed airport is intended to improve air connectivity for Bhadradri Kothagudem district and support its economic development, including tourism tied to the Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple at Bhadrachalam. The central team's field inspection will assess geographical conditions, climate and technical feasibility at the newly identified locations before recommending a suitable site.
Site selection remains the critical pending stage for the project, with terrain, weather conditions and surrounding development expected to influence eventual construction costs and long-term operations. A favourable technical assessment from the September 7 inspection could allow the project to move toward subsequent planning and approval stages.
The Kothagudem proposal is part of a broader push by Telangana to expand regional aviation infrastructure, alongside separate proposals for airports at Mamnoor in Warangal and at Adilabad, which are also being pursued with the central government. The approach aims to create a more distributed aviation network rather than concentrating air travel around Hyderabad.
Project progress will depend on coordination between aviation authorities, the state government and local agencies on land availability, environmental clearances, road access and supporting infrastructure.