Puri inaugurates AAI’s Kurnool Airport, operations begin March 28

New Delhi: Minister of State for Civil Aviation (I/c) Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the Kurnool Airport, Orvakal, Andhra Pradesh in a virtual ceremony Thursday. On the occasion Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Yeduguri Sandinti Jaganmohan Reddy along with senior officials and other important stakeholders were also present. Senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) also attended the event virtually. Kurnool is the 6th airport in Andhra Pradesh to become functional after Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada.

Operations to commence from March 28

According to a press statement from the MoCA, the flight operations at Kurnool airport will commence on March 28, under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). The direct flight operations to Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai will bring the region closer to the major hubs in South India. These routes were approved by the MoCA under the UDAN 4 bid process last year. The central government the government of Andhra Pradesh will jointly share the VGF towards the operations on an 80:20 basis. Till date, 56 unserved and underserved airports (including 5 heliports+ 2 water aerodrome) with 325 routes have been operationalised under UDAN across the length and breadth of India.

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Andhra Pradesh is a historical hub

Kurnool is the judicial capital of Andhra Pradesh and a historical hub of the country. The place is famous for its mighty caves and temples. The city of Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra river and, Nallamalas mountain hill range runs parallel. Moreover, famous tourist spots include Nallamala Forest, Ahobilam, Belum Caves, Mahanandi, Mantralayam, Orvakal, Sangameshwaram, Kethavaram and Kalva Bugga. This air connectivity will fulfill the aspirations of the people of Kurnool and provide impetus to the local economy and tourism. 

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