Overview
- The approval makes Dagadarthi in Nellore Andhra Pradesh’s eighth airport, with in-principle clearance already granted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- The state has issued a Request for Proposal and floated global tenders to select a private developer to build and operate the project under a long-term concession.
- APADCL is authorised to acquire 418 acres at Damavaram with compensation of Rs 13 lakh per acre, as part of roughly 1,333 acres the state will provide for the site.
- The master plan targets Phase 1 operations by early 2029 with Aerodrome 4C standards, a 2,750×45 m runway for A320-type aircraft, and an initial 5,510 sqm terminal expandable over later phases.
- Capacity projections differ across official documents, with an RFP-linked plan citing 1.4 million passengers per year in Phase 1 versus a TEFR forecast of 3.7 lakh in the first year, highlighting demand uncertainty for revenue modelling.