Hyderabad: Union minister of state for civil aviation Mr Jayant Sinha in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha said no new international airport can be developed within 150-km of the existing Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad’s Shamshabad area.

Quoting the Greenfield airport policy, Mr Sinha said if a greenfield airport is proposed within 150-km of existing civilian airport, the impact on the existing airport should be examined and that too, on a case-to-case to basis.

In terms of the Hyderabad International Airport, no international airport can be developed within 150-km for a specific period, he said.

The Union minister’s reply is a setback for the Telangana government because Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has been in favour of developing two more airports around Hyderabad — one in and around Ghatkesar and another, around Shamirpet. Both the proposed locations are well within a 150-km radius of RGIA.

Also, GMR – which operates the RGIA has a 30-year concession period according to an agreement and during this period, no new airport can be set up within 150 kms of its site. Commercial operations at the RGIA began in March 2008.