Seema fliers wings clipped

Anantapur: Development of existing and also newly proposed airports is badly neglected in most parts of the Rayalaseema region. The existing airports were facing many problems while the newly proposed ones existed on papers only. Presently, Tirupati is only the airport plying the passengers during daytime to Hyderabad, Chennai and other parts in the district. But none of them have night landing facilities and passengers, mo-stly political leaders and traders have to dep-end on Karnataka and Tamil Nadu headquarters to travel during night.

A proposal to upgrade facilities including night landing at Sri Satyasai Airport at Puttaparti has made no progress after Sri Sathya Saibaba's demise. Proposals to develop Puttaparti airport as a centre for cargos remained on papers. Presently, the airport is only hosting special aircrafts of VIPS including devotees and politicians.

A devotee Dhananjay of Puttaparti recalled many VIP devotees used to arrive in a special aircraft to the spiritual centre when Sri Satya Saibaba was alive.

Official sources revea-led that the occupancy rate of the airport has been very low for the past three years.

The alleged political internal bickering between TD and YSRC has been the reason for the delay of Kadapa airport. The CM was scheduled to launch operations of airport thrice since ten months, but nothing happened.

Though, Mr Chandrababu Naidu visited twice including kalyanam of Lord Sriram and Godd-ess Sita at Vontimitta, the long pending proposal was neglected.

Kadapa airport was constructed in 1953 on a 229-acre site and also operated Vayudoot services from Kadapa to Hyderabad in the 1980s.

The airport built on a 229-acre stretch was subsequently used by Chief Ministers for making a transit halt of the government helicopters and for refuelling. About 15 light and microlight aircraft and helicopters landed in Kadapa airport and took off in Air Race India Show organised by Aeronautical Society of India in 2003.

It was a prelude to the first centenary of aviation history created on December 17, 1903, when the Wright Brothers flew the first-ever powered flight recalled air veteran veteran Sethuma-dhava Chari.

The YSRC leader and Kadapa mayor Suresh Babu alleged the TD government was neglecting the airport in the district represented by YSRC president Jagan Mohan Reddy. Meanwhile the, new airport proposals in Kurnool and Anantapur districts are still on papers as revenue officials are identifying suitable locations. Though, Kurnool was listed among the sanctioned airports, the district authorities are waiting for a detailed inspection and finalising a suitable location.