Andhra Pradesh Gets Sixth Functional Airport At Kurnool, Named After Freedom Fighter Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy

Minister of state (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday (25 March) virtually joined Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh Y S Jaganmohan Reddy at the inauguration of the Kurnool Airport at Orvakal of Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh CM attended the inauguration at Kurnool airport along with senior officials and other important stakeholders. Senior officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) also attended the event virtually.

Airport at Kurnool has been named after Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, a freedom fighter from the region. It is the sixth airport in Andhra Pradesh to become functional after Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada.

The flight operations at Kurnool airport will commence on 28 March 2021 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). Direct flight operations to Bangalore, Visakhapatnam and Chennai will bring the region closer to the major hubs in South India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Till date, 56 unserved and underserved airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) with 325 routes have been operationalised under UDAN across the length and breadth of India.

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 Nallamala mountain hill range runs parallel to it.

Famous tourist spots of the region include Nallamala Forest, Ahobilam, Belum Caves, Mahanandi, Mantralayam, Orvakal, Sangameswaram, 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.