(a) whether the Government has any proposal to handover Begumpet Airport to Army; and
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof along with the reasons therefor?
(a) whether the Government has any proposal to handover Begumpet Airport to Army; and
(b) if so, the details and the present status thereof along with the reasons therefor?
The Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)
(a) & (b): No Sir. The existing Begumpet airport was closed for commercial operations in compliance with Clause 5.5.1(b) of the Concession Agreement entered between Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India (GoI) and Hyderabad International Airport Limited (HIAL) which states that from and with effect from the date on which Airport Opening occurs GoI will ensure that the Existing Airport shall not be open or available for use for commercial civil aviation operations. As per the ''Exclusivity'' Clause 5.2 of the Concession Agreement, no new or existing airport shall be permitted by GoI to be developed as, or improved or upgraded into, an International/Domestic Airport within an aerial distance of 150 kilometres of the Airport before the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Airport Opening Date.