Warangal Airport Project Cleared After Years of Delay, Triggering Political Credit Battle

Telangana's long-delayed Mamnoor airport at Warangal is moving ahead after the Airports Authority of India floated an infrastructure tender on 14 September. The project was held up for years due to a 150-kilometre exclusivity clause protecting Hyderabad airport under a 2004 agreement, but a one-time waiver by GMR has now cleared the legal block.

Political Clash

Following the tender announcement, the BJP and Congress have locked horns over who deserves credit for the project. Telangana BJP leaders credited Prime Minister Modi for facilitating the GMR waiver and helping clear the legal gridlock, which allowed the state government to sanction Rs 205 crore for land acquisition. Meanwhile, the Congress highlighted its own role in speeding up land acquisition and criticised the Centre over differential treatment given to airport projects in different states. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has asked the public to suggest a new name for the airport reflecting its Kakatiya heritage.

Project Details

Originally opened in 1930, the Warangal airport stopped commercial operations in 1981. Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu stated that the 250-acre airport could be finished in 30 months once the state hands over the land. The Ministry of Civil Aviation gave its final nod during the July monsoon session with an approved cost of Rs 497 crore, and a completion target of June 2028 has been set.