The Andhra Pradesh government has expedited construction works for the Greenfield Airport at Dagadarthi Mandal in Nellore. The government approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the AP Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL). Nellore Airport Corporation Limited prepared the DPR for the proposed airport project. After approval, the officials expect to begin the first phase of the work in April 2022. The airport is being constructed on a Public-private Partnership (PPP) model across 1,379.71-acre of land. Even after land acquisition, the land requirement was increased to 1,861.2 acres after the proposal for operating cargo flights. In 2018, SCL-Turbo had signed a concession agreement for airport development. Nellore International Airport has planned a cargo hub, expecting huge demand from the local industries, Krishnapatnam Port and other cities. Initially, the flights will operate from Nellore to Bengaluru, Vizag and Hyderabad. Later, the airport services will be expanded to other places. MLA R Prathap Kumar Reddy said that the airport project would cater to the demand in the region. Other connectivity projects are a key advantage for the airport. The airport project will provide employment opportunities for the local people. The district administration has acquired 1,065.3 acre land for the proposed airport project in Dagadarthi Velugodu, Damavaram and K Korugunta villages. They aim to set up medium and small-sized industries near the airport to generate employment. According to the source, land acquisition was already completed despite the pending court cases and other issues. Image Source