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{{Short description|Civil enclave in Hyderabad, India}}
{{Short description|Airport in Hyderabad, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox airport
 
{{For|the main airport in Hyderabad|Rajiv Gandhi International Airport}}{{Infobox airport
| name        = Begumpet Airport
| name        = Begumpet Airport
| image        =
| image        = Airport, Terminal JP6932691.jpg
| IATA        = BPM
| IATA        = BPM
| ICAO        = VOHY
| ICAO        = VOHY
| pushpin_map  = India Telangana#India
| type        = Military/Public
| pushpin_relief =
| owner-oper  = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of airport in Telangana
| city-served  = [[Hyderabad]]
| pushpin_label      = '''BPM'''
| location    = [[Begumpet]], [[Telangana]], India
| pushpin_label_position = right
| opened = {{start date|1936|06}}
| type        = Military / Public
| passenger_services_ceased = {{end date|2008|03|23|df=y}}
| owner       =  
| elevation-f  = 1,744
[[Airports Authority of India]]
| elevation-m  = {{convert|1744|ft|0|disp=number}}
| operator    = [[Airports Authority of India]]
| coordinates  = {{coord|17|27|11|N|078|28|03|E|type:airport|display=inline,title}}
| city-served  =
| location    = [[Hyderabad]], [[Telangana]], India
| opened = {{start date|1930|df=y}}
| closed = {{end date|2008|3|22|df=y}}
| elevation-f  = 1,742
| elevation-m  = 531
| coordinates  = {{coord|17|27|11|N|078|28|03|E|type:airport|display=inline}}
| website      = [http://aai.aero/allAirports/hyderabad_generalinfo.jsp aai.aero/allAirports/...]
| r1-number    = 09/27
| r1-number    = 09/27
| r1-length-f  = 10,600
| r1-length-f  = {{convert|3230|m|0|disp=number}}
| r1-length-m  = 3,231
| r1-length-m  = 3,230
| r1-surface  = [[Asphalt]]
| r1-surface  = Macadam
| metric-elev  = yes
| metric-elev  = yes
| metric-rwy  = yes
| metric-rwy  = yes
}}
}}


'''Begumpet Airport''' {{Airport codes|BPM|VOHY}} in [[Hyderabad (India)|Hyderabad]], also known as '''Hyderabad Old Airport''', is a [[civil enclave]] located in [[Begumpet]]. The airport is home to the Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy (RGAA), the Telangana State Aviation Academy and the Begumpet Air Force Station of the [[Indian Air Force]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/civil-aviation-ministry-decides-to-return-old-begumpet-airport-to-indian-air-force/articleshow/47336404.cms |title= Civil aviation ministry decides to return old Begumpet airport to Indian Air Force |newspaper= The Economic Times |access-date=25 June 2018| date=19 May 2015 |last1= Mishra |first1= Mihir }}</ref> Begumpet used to be the only international airport of Hyderabad until the opening of [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport]] on 23 March 2008, which ceased all commercial operations. Final and last flight to take off was a [[Singapore Airlines]] flight at 23:40 on 22 March 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Begumpet-Airport-is-now-history/article15189810.ece |title= Begumpet Airport is now history |newspaper= The Hindu |access-date=25 June 2018| date= 23 September 2015}}</ref>
'''Begumpet Airport''' {{Airport codes|BPM|VOHY}} is an airport that serves [[Hyderabad]] in [[Telangana]], India. It is located in [[Begumpet]] and caters to [[General aviation|general]] and military aviation. The airport is home to the Begumpet Air Force Station of the [[Indian Air Force]]. Begumpet was built by the [[Princely State of Hyderabad]] in the 1930s and served as the city's commercial airport for several decades. It eventually became overcrowded, with little room for expansion. After the opening of [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport]] in [[Shamshabad, Hyderabad|Shamshabad]] on 23 March 2008, Begumpet ceased all commercial operations.


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Tata Sons' Airline Timetable Image, Summer 1935 (interior).jpg|thumb|Tata Airlines started as an air mail service from Karachi to Madras via Hyderabad Deccan]]
In 1934–1935, [[Mir Osman Ali Khan]], the last [[nizam]] of the [[Princely State of Hyderabad]], decided to establish an airport in Begumpet on the outskirts of [[Hyderabad]].<ref name="th308e">{{cite news | title=One thing the seventh Nizam dreaded the most | work=The Hindu | date=13 March 2008 | author=Ifthekhar, J. S.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.95469/ | title=Report on the Administration of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions for the Year 1344 Fasli (6th October 1934 A.D. to 6th October 1935 A.D.) | publisher=Government Central Press | year=1938 | page=84}}</ref> The [[Hyderabad State Aero Club]] was inaugurated at Begumpet in June 1936,<ref name="yb40" /> and [[Dürrüşehvar Sultan|Princess Dürrüşehvar]] laid the foundation stone for a terminal building five months later.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Hyderabad's new airport | journal=Great Britain and the East | volume=47 | date=26 November 1936 | page=787}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Progressive princess of Hyderabad | work=The Hindu | date=3 November 2018 | author=Seshan, K. S. S. | id={{ProQuest|2128393760}}}}</ref> In 1937, [[Air India#Early years (1932–1945)|Tata]]'s service from Karachi to Madras began operating via Begumpet instead of the [[Hakimpet Air Force Station|Hakimpet airfield]].<ref name="yb40">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.102928/ | title=H.E.H. the Nizam's Government Statistical Year Book 1349 Fasli (1940 A. D.) (With Comparative Statistics from 1344 Fasli) | publisher=Government Central Press | author=Hussain, Mazhar | year=1943 | page=865}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Hyderabad State Aero Club: Flying Report for April 1937 | journal=Indian & Eastern Motors | year=1937 | volume=29 | pages=272–273}}</ref> The following year, the Nizam's State Railways Air Department introduced flights from Madras to Bangalore via Hyderabad. The route ceased at the onset of the [[Second World War]].<ref name="oup23">{{cite book | url=https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192864208.003.0005 | title=The Aeroplane and the Making of Modern India | publisher=Oxford University Press | author=Iqbal, Aashique Ahmed | year=2023 | pages=191–192 | doi=10.1093/oso/9780192864208.003.0005 | isbn=978-0-19-286420-8}}</ref> Service to Bangalore resumed for a brief period in 1940.<ref name="ie546" /> The airport was among the most developed in India at the time of the war.<ref name="oup23" />
[[File:Begumpetairport.jpg|thumb|200px|A [[Jet Airways]] civilian aircraft parked at the airport]]
Begumpet Airport was established in 1930 by [[Mir Osman Ali Khan]], the last [[Nizam]] of [[Hyderabad]], and [[Berar Province|Berar]] with the formation of [[Hyderabad Aero Club]]. Initially, it was used by the Nizam of the [[Hyderabad state]] as a domestic and international airport for the Nizam's [[Deccan Airways Limited|Deccan Airways]], one of the premier and the earliest airline in British India. The terminal building was created in 1937.<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Museum/Begumpet.html Begumpet Airport History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051221081504/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Museum/Begumpet.html |date=21 December 2005 }}</ref> A new terminal building came up on the south side in 1972 and later became the main airport. The older terminal hitherto was referred to as "Old Airport" at Begumpet. The new terminal building consisted of two check-in terminals; Rajiv Gandhi International and NTR National with a common arrival module.


A nonstop flight between Hyderabad and Europe commenced in February 2005 when a [[Lufthansa]] plane arrived from [[Frankfurt]], Germany.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rediff.com/money/2005/feb/18flight.htm | title=Lufthansa starts Hyderabad-Frankfurt service | work=Rediff | date=18 February 2005 | agency=Press Trust of India | accessdate=23 May 2021}}</ref>
During the war, the state government granted control of Begumpet to the Directorate of Civil Aviation.<ref name="oup23" /> The [[Royal Air Force]] took over and set up a flying school in 1942.<ref name="oup23" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://indianairforce.nic.in/training-command/ | title=Training command | work=Indian Air Force | accessdate=1 September 2024 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207000409/https://indianairforce.nic.in/training-command/ | archivedate=7 December 2021}}</ref> In May 1946, the maiden flight of [[Deccan Airways]] from Begumpet to Bangalore took place.<ref name="ie546">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6s-AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA5 | title=Deccan Airways inaugurated | work=The Indian Express | date=25 May 1946 | accessdate=26 February 2024 | page=5}}</ref> The airline operated India's first [[Hajj]] flight from the airport five months later.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/1st-haj-flight-took-off-with-just-18-pilgrims/articleshow/65145510.cms | title=1st Haj flight took off with just 18 pilgrims | work=The Times of India | date=26 July 2018 | accessdate=26 February 2024 | author=Akbar, Syed}}</ref> As of 1948, civilian flights to Hyderabad landed at Hakimpet while expansion work was underway at Begumpet.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.85207/ | title=The Hyderabad Government Bulletin on Economic Affairs | publisher=Hyderabad State Government | year=1947–1948 | volume=1 | editor=Iyengar, S. Kesava | page=686}}</ref> In May 1950, commercial airlines moved to Begumpet.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nLw-AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2 | title=Begumpet Aerodrome opened to scheduled services | work=The Indian Express | date=9 May 1950 | accessdate=26 February 2024 | page=2}}</ref>


At the time of its closure, Begumpet was the 6th busiest airport in India. It had 13 parking bays in operation around the terminal block and five "night parking bays" on the northern side next to the old block, sufficient to handle the [[Airbus A320 family|A320]] and [[Boeing 737]]. The airport had limited night landing facilities and only 30% of Andhra Pradesh's international traffic flowed through the airport due to the lack of direct flights.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/Economic%20Survey/economic6.pdf |title= Airports in Andhra Pradesh |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923172904/http://www.aponline.gov.in/quick%20links/Economic%20Survey/economic6.pdf |archive-date= 23 September 2015 |df= dmy-all }}&nbsp;{{small|(4.53&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}</ref>
Work on the runway to enable it to handle [[Sud Aviation Caravelle|Caravelle]] jets was finished in 1965.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/cftri.timesofindiadire0000njna/ | title=The Times of India Directory & Yearbook, Including Who's Who | year=1967 | editor=Nanporia, N. J. | page=252| publisher=The Times of India Press }}</ref> In the 1970s, [[Indian Airlines]] linked Hyderabad to seven cities in the country and used Caravelles on flights to Bombay.<ref>{{cite journal | title=Effective 1st April, 1977 (Updated 4.7.77) | journal=Indian Airlines Schedules | pages=[https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ic/ic77/ic77-1.jpg Route map], [https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ic/ic77/ic77-2.jpg table 2]}}</ref> A new terminal was completed in 1972,<ref>{{cite news | title=Helping city soar to greater heights | work=The Hindu | date=7 March 2008 | author=Srinivas, M.}}</ref> and Begumpet handled 250,000 passengers in 1975.<ref>{{cite book | title=Airports of the World | publisher=Putnam | author=Stroud, John | year=1980 | location=London | page=166 | isbn=9780370300375}}</ref> The airport had international flights to Sharjah and Kuwait in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/iaf-grounds-hyderabad-international-airport-plan-197051201049_1.html | title=IAF Grounds Hyderabad International Airport Plan | work=Business Standard | date=12 May 1997 | accessdate=1 September 2024 | author=Ahmed, M. | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422002735/http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/iaf-grounds-hyderabad-international-airport-plan-197051201049_1.html | archivedate=22 April 2016}}</ref>


Begumpet Airport's capacity had reportedly been exceeded in both domestic and international areas due to the rate of growth in passenger traffic, estimated at 45% p.a., the highest among Indian airports. The airport handled 20 000 passengers daily with about 300 aircraft movements of 16 international and 10 domestic airlines. US President [[Bill Clinton]]'s [[Air Force One]] landed and took off from Begumpet during his visit to Hyderabad in early 2000.
In the 1990s, the [[government of Andhra Pradesh]] decided to build a new airport for Hyderabad. Officials ultimately chose a site in [[Shamshabad]], {{convert|30|km|0}} from the city.<ref name="bs305">{{cite news | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/work-on-hyd-intl-airport-to-start-on-march-16-105031501031_1.html | title=Work on Hyd intl airport to start on March 16 | work=Business Standard | date=2005-03-15 | accessdate=26 February 2024 | author=Reddy, B. Dasarath}}</ref> Passenger counts were climbing quickly at Begumpet, and the terminal was inadequate.<ref name="bl506">{{cite news | title=Promise of world-class experience | work=The Hindu BusinessLine | date=2006-05-15 | author=P. V., Sivakumar}}</ref> There was little room to expand the airport as the development of the surrounding areas meant that Begumpet was now in the middle of the city.<ref name="ht308">{{cite news | title=Now kids play cricket at Hyderabad's old airport | work=Hindustan Times | date=28 March 2008 | agency=Indo-Asian News Service | id={{ProQuest|470318367}}}}</ref> The growth of Hyderabad's information technology and pharmaceutical industries added more pressure to construct a new airport.<ref name="bl506" /> In 2004, the Indian government signed a [[concession agreement]] with the consortium building the Shamshabad airport that required commercial operations at Begumpet to cease when the new airport opened.<ref name="bs305" /><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/centre-confirms-closure-of-hyd-s-old-airport-108031100040_1.html | title=Centre confirms closure of Hyd's old airport | work=Business Standard | date=2008-03-11 | accessdate=26 February 2024}}</ref>


== Civil aviation airshow ==
In February 2005, [[Lufthansa]] commenced a nonstop flight between Hyderabad and Frankfurt,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rediff.com/money/2005/feb/18flight.htm | title=Lufthansa starts Hyderabad-Frankfurt service | work=Rediff | date=18 February 2005 | agency=Press Trust of India | accessdate=23 May 2021}}</ref> and [[Air Sahara]] opened a hub at the airport.<ref>{{cite news | title=Air Sahara's Hyderabad hub inaugurated | work=Hindustan Times | date=2005-02-05 | id={{ProQuest|470586307}}}}</ref> The [[Airports Authority of India]] responded to the rising traffic by adding another jet bridge and five parking stands.<ref>{{cite news | title=Begumpet airport to get one more aero-bridge | work=The Hindu | date=2006-06-30 | author=Srinivas, M.}}</ref> Between April 2006 and March 2007, 5.8 million travellers passed through the airport, a 44% increase over the previous year.<ref name="third">{{cite web | url=http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/mar2k7annex3.pdf | title=Annexure III: Traffic Statistics | publisher=Airports Authority of India | date=March 2007 | accessdate=11 July 2021 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120153555/http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/mar2k7annex3.pdf | archivedate=20 January 2013}}</ref> The final passenger flight to take off from Begumpet was a [[Thai Airways International]] flight to Bangkok at 00:25 on 23 March 2008. [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport]] opened the same day.<ref>{{cite news | title=Begumpet Airport slips into annals of history | work=The Hindu | date=2008-03-23 | author=Srinivas, M.}}</ref> When scheduled service ended, Begumpet was the sixth busiest airport in India and was served by 10 Indian and 13 foreign airlines.<ref name="ht308" />
Begumpet Airport hosts ''India Aviation'', India's first civilian air show. This biennial event, organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in collaboration with FICCI, was first held 15–18 October 2008. The second edition, ''India Aviation 2010'', was organised from 3{{ndash}}7 March 2010. The partner country in the second edition was France, and the focus country for the event was the USA. The event was bigger in magnitude to its predecessor. More than 200 exhibitors participated and the exhibition covered a gross area of {{convert|12000|m2|comma=gaps}}. 40 aircraft participated, including the [[Antonov An-148]] which was on display for first time in India. More than 500 conference delegates and more than 5000 Business visitors attended the event. Parallel events of International Conference on Civil Aviation and CEOs Forum were also organized. The third edition, ''India Aviation 2012'', was organised in Hyderabad from 14{{ndash}}18 March 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=66544 |access-date=30 January 2012 }}</ref>


== General aviation and training ==
== Facilities and operations ==
After the closure of Begumpet Airport for commercial flights, it is being used for aviation and flight training purposes by Telangana Aviation Academy, Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy Ltd., and Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy. Training flights fly only to the south of the airport because of the northern part of the airport being a prohibited airspace for commercial flights.
The airport has one runway named 09/27. It measures {{convert|3230|x|45|m}} and is made of macadam.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://aim-india.aai.aero/eaip-v2-02-2024/index-en-GB.html | title=Aeronautical Information Publication for Begumpet | work=Airports Authority of India | date=2024-01-11 | accessdate=29 February 2024}}</ref>
 
Begumpet is used for flight training and houses an [[Indian Air Force|air force]] station. Businesspeople, politicians, and others fly into the airport on their private aircraft.<ref>{{cite news | title=Begumpet airport turns a boon for tycoons | work=The Hindu | date=2009-01-05 | author=Srinivas, M.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=IAF Training Command chief visits Air Force Station | work=The Hindu | date=2022-11-26 | id={{ProQuest|2740097609}}}}</ref> Begumpet also hosts [[Wings India]], the country's first [[civil aviation|civilian]] air show. The biennial event is organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Airports Authority of India. It was first held in October 2008 under the name India Aviation.<ref>{{cite news | title=India Aviation show proves a big hit | work=The Hindustan Times | date=2008-10-18 | agency=Indo-Asian News Service | author=Shafeeq, Mohammed | id={{ProQuest|471446306}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Major airlines, officials give Hyderabad's Wings India aero show a miss | work=Mint | date=2018-03-10 | id={{ProQuest|2012330275}}}}</ref>
 
During the period of commercial operations, Begumpet was officially called Hyderabad Airport and had two terminals. The domestic terminal was named for [[N. T. Rama Rao]]; the international one, for [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/hyderabad_generalinfo.jsp | title=Hyderabad Airport | work=Airports Authority of India | accessdate=29 February 2024 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121234220/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/hyderabad_generalinfo.jsp | archivedate=2007-11-21}}</ref>


==Accidents and incidents==
==Accidents and incidents==
[[File:Indian Airlines Boeing 737-2A8; VT-EGE, December 1998 BUI (5404996252).jpg|thumb|An Indian Airlines Boeing 737-200 similar to the aircraft involved in the incident on 12 January 1978]]
*On the night of 12 January 1978, an [[Indian Airlines]] [[Boeing 737-200]] operating a flight from Bombay to Hyderabad had just touched down when the crew saw a man on the runway. The aircraft struck him, and he died on the way to a hospital. The investigation determined that the man had breached security at Begumpet Airport.<ref name="dgca">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Accident Summary 1978|url=https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?page=jsp/dgca/InventoryList/dataReports/accidentIncidentData/summary/Accident%20Summary%201978.PDF&main4273/4208/servicename|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513232801/https://www.dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?page=jsp/dgca/InventoryList/dataReports/accidentIncidentData/summary/Accident%20Summary%201978.PDF&main4273/4208/servicename |archive-date=13 May 2021 |access-date=2020-11-25|website=dgca.gov.in|publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]]}}</ref>
On 12 January 1978, an adult male pedestrian was struck and killed by the [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-2A8 Adv]], (registration VT-EFL) operating the flight as it touched down on the runway at Begumpet Airport. Indian Airlines Flight 117 was a scheduled domestic flight from Bombay (now [[Mumbai]]) to [[Hyderabad]], India.<ref name="dgca" />
The aircraft involved in the accident was a two-month-old  Boeing 737-2A8 Advanced registered as VT-EFL and was named ''Saranga''. It was the 504th Boeing 737 built.  The aircraft was powered by two [[Pratt & Whitney JT8D|Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17A]] turbofan engines.<ref name="planespotters">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=VT-EFL Indian Airlines Boeing 737-200|url=https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-737-200-vt-efl-indian-airlines/e96dzg|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-09-10|website=www.planespotters.net}}</ref><ref name="dgca">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Accident Summary 1978|url=https://dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?page=jsp/dgca/InventoryList/dataReports/accidentIncidentData/summary/Accident%20Summary%201978.PDF&main4273/4208/servicename|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-25|website=dgca.gov.in|publisher=[[Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India)|Directorate General of Civil Aviation]]}}</ref> When the aircraft touched down, the flight crew saw a man running across the runway. The aircraft struck the man at high speed and he died while being transported to a hospital.<ref name="dgca" /> The investigation determined that the man had breached security at Begumpet Airport.<ref name="dgca" /> VT-EFL did not sustain any damage in the accident and it returned to service with Indian Airlines.
 
==See also==
* {{portal-inline|Aviation}}
* {{portal-inline|Hyderabad}}
* [[Rajiv Gandhi International Airport]]{{mdash}}The commercial airport currently serving Hyderabad


== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{commons category|Begumpet Airport}}
{{commons category|Begumpet Airport}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061013160853/http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/hyderabad_generalinfo.jsp Hyderabad Airport] at [[Airports Authority of India]] web site
* {{portal-inline|Aviation}}
* {{portal-inline|Hyderabad}}
* {{Official website|https://www.aai.aero/en/airports/hyderabad}}
* {{ASN|HYD}}
* {{ASN|HYD}}
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{{Hyderabad topics}}
{{Hyderabad topics}}
{{Airports in India}}
{{Airports in India}}
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{{Indian Air Force}}
{{Indian Air Force}}


[[Category:Airports established in 1930]]
[[Category:Airports established in 1936]]
[[Category:Airports disestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments in India]]
[[Category:Airports in Telangana]]
[[Category:Airports in Telangana]]
[[Category:Transport in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Transport in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Establishments in Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Establishments in Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Defunct airfields in India]]
[[Category:1936 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:1930 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:20th-century architecture in India]]
[[Category:Airports Authority of India]]

Latest revision as of 22:32, 31 January 2026



For the main airport in Hyderabad, see Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Begumpet Airport
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
Owner/OperatorAirports Authority of India
ServesHyderabad
LocationBegumpet, Telangana, India
OpenedJune 1936 (1936-06)
Passenger services ceased23 March 2008 (2008-03-23)
Elevation AMSL532 m / 1,744 ft
Coordinates17°27′11″N 078°28′03″E / 17.45306°N 78.46750°E / 17.45306; 78.46750
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 3,230 10,597 Macadam

Begumpet Airport (IATA: BPM, ICAO: VOHY) is an airport that serves Hyderabad in Telangana, India. It is located in Begumpet and caters to general and military aviation. The airport is home to the Begumpet Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force. Begumpet was built by the Princely State of Hyderabad in the 1930s and served as the city's commercial airport for several decades. It eventually became overcrowded, with little room for expansion. After the opening of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad on 23 March 2008, Begumpet ceased all commercial operations.

History[edit | edit source]

In 1934–1935, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last nizam of the Princely State of Hyderabad, decided to establish an airport in Begumpet on the outskirts of Hyderabad.[1][2] The Hyderabad State Aero Club was inaugurated at Begumpet in June 1936,[3] and Princess Dürrüşehvar laid the foundation stone for a terminal building five months later.[4][5] In 1937, Tata's service from Karachi to Madras began operating via Begumpet instead of the Hakimpet airfield.[3][6] The following year, the Nizam's State Railways Air Department introduced flights from Madras to Bangalore via Hyderabad. The route ceased at the onset of the Second World War.[7] Service to Bangalore resumed for a brief period in 1940.[8] The airport was among the most developed in India at the time of the war.[7]

During the war, the state government granted control of Begumpet to the Directorate of Civil Aviation.[7] The Royal Air Force took over and set up a flying school in 1942.[7][9] In May 1946, the maiden flight of Deccan Airways from Begumpet to Bangalore took place.[8] The airline operated India's first Hajj flight from the airport five months later.[10] As of 1948, civilian flights to Hyderabad landed at Hakimpet while expansion work was underway at Begumpet.[11] In May 1950, commercial airlines moved to Begumpet.[12]

Work on the runway to enable it to handle Caravelle jets was finished in 1965.[13] In the 1970s, Indian Airlines linked Hyderabad to seven cities in the country and used Caravelles on flights to Bombay.[14] A new terminal was completed in 1972,[15] and Begumpet handled 250,000 passengers in 1975.[16] The airport had international flights to Sharjah and Kuwait in the 1990s.[17]

In the 1990s, the government of Andhra Pradesh decided to build a new airport for Hyderabad. Officials ultimately chose a site in Shamshabad, 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city.[18] Passenger counts were climbing quickly at Begumpet, and the terminal was inadequate.[19] There was little room to expand the airport as the development of the surrounding areas meant that Begumpet was now in the middle of the city.[20] The growth of Hyderabad's information technology and pharmaceutical industries added more pressure to construct a new airport.[19] In 2004, the Indian government signed a concession agreement with the consortium building the Shamshabad airport that required commercial operations at Begumpet to cease when the new airport opened.[18][21]

In February 2005, Lufthansa commenced a nonstop flight between Hyderabad and Frankfurt,[22] and Air Sahara opened a hub at the airport.[23] The Airports Authority of India responded to the rising traffic by adding another jet bridge and five parking stands.[24] Between April 2006 and March 2007, 5.8 million travellers passed through the airport, a 44% increase over the previous year.[25] The final passenger flight to take off from Begumpet was a Thai Airways International flight to Bangkok at 00:25 on 23 March 2008. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport opened the same day.[26] When scheduled service ended, Begumpet was the sixth busiest airport in India and was served by 10 Indian and 13 foreign airlines.[20]

Facilities and operations[edit | edit source]

The airport has one runway named 09/27. It measures 3,230 by 45 metres (10,597 ft × 148 ft) and is made of macadam.[27]

Begumpet is used for flight training and houses an air force station. Businesspeople, politicians, and others fly into the airport on their private aircraft.[28][29] Begumpet also hosts Wings India, the country's first civilian air show. The biennial event is organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Airports Authority of India. It was first held in October 2008 under the name India Aviation.[30][31]

During the period of commercial operations, Begumpet was officially called Hyderabad Airport and had two terminals. The domestic terminal was named for N. T. Rama Rao; the international one, for Rajiv Gandhi.[32]

Accidents and incidents[edit | edit source]

  • On the night of 12 January 1978, an Indian Airlines Boeing 737-200 operating a flight from Bombay to Hyderabad had just touched down when the crew saw a man on the runway. The aircraft struck him, and he died on the way to a hospital. The investigation determined that the man had breached security at Begumpet Airport.[33]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Ifthekhar, J. S. (13 March 2008). "One thing the seventh Nizam dreaded the most". The Hindu.
  2. ↑ Report on the Administration of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions for the Year 1344 Fasli (6th October 1934 A.D. to 6th October 1935 A.D.). Government Central Press. 1938. p. 84.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hussain, Mazhar (1943). H.E.H. the Nizam's Government Statistical Year Book 1349 Fasli (1940 A. D.) (With Comparative Statistics from 1344 Fasli). Government Central Press. p. 865.
  4. ↑ "Hyderabad's new airport". Great Britain and the East. 47: 787. 26 November 1936.
  5. ↑ Seshan, K. S. S. (3 November 2018). "Progressive princess of Hyderabad". The Hindu. ProQuest 2128393760.
  6. ↑ "Hyderabad State Aero Club: Flying Report for April 1937". Indian & Eastern Motors. 29: 272–273. 1937.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Iqbal, Aashique Ahmed (2023). The Aeroplane and the Making of Modern India. Oxford University Press. pp. 191–192. doi:10.1093/oso/9780192864208.003.0005. ISBN 978-0-19-286420-8.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Deccan Airways inaugurated". The Indian Express. 25 May 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Training command". Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Akbar, Syed (26 July 2018). "1st Haj flight took off with just 18 pilgrims". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Iyengar, S. Kesava, ed. (1947–1948). The Hyderabad Government Bulletin on Economic Affairs. Vol. 1. Hyderabad State Government. p. 686.
  12. ↑ "Begumpet Aerodrome opened to scheduled services". The Indian Express. 9 May 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Nanporia, N. J., ed. (1967). The Times of India Directory & Yearbook, Including Who's Who. The Times of India Press. p. 252.
  14. ↑ "Effective 1st April, 1977 (Updated 4.7.77)". Indian Airlines Schedules: Route map, table 2.
  15. ↑ Srinivas, M. (7 March 2008). "Helping city soar to greater heights". The Hindu.
  16. ↑ Stroud, John (1980). Airports of the World. London: Putnam. p. 166. ISBN 9780370300375.
  17. ↑ Ahmed, M. (12 May 1997). "IAF Grounds Hyderabad International Airport Plan". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Reddy, B. Dasarath (15 March 2005). "Work on Hyd intl airport to start on March 16". Business Standard. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 P. V., Sivakumar (15 May 2006). "Promise of world-class experience". The Hindu BusinessLine.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Now kids play cricket at Hyderabad's old airport". Hindustan Times. Indo-Asian News Service. 28 March 2008. ProQuest 470318367.
  21. ↑ "Centre confirms closure of Hyd's old airport". Business Standard. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "Lufthansa starts Hyderabad-Frankfurt service". Rediff. Press Trust of India. 18 February 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  23. ↑ "Air Sahara's Hyderabad hub inaugurated". Hindustan Times. 5 February 2005. ProQuest 470586307.
  24. ↑ Srinivas, M. (30 June 2006). "Begumpet airport to get one more aero-bridge". The Hindu.
  25. ↑ "Annexure III: Traffic Statistics" (PDF). Airports Authority of India. March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  26. ↑ Srinivas, M. (23 March 2008). "Begumpet Airport slips into annals of history". The Hindu.
  27. ↑ "Aeronautical Information Publication for Begumpet". Airports Authority of India. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  28. ↑ Srinivas, M. (5 January 2009). "Begumpet airport turns a boon for tycoons". The Hindu.
  29. ↑ "IAF Training Command chief visits Air Force Station". The Hindu. 26 November 2022. ProQuest 2740097609.
  30. ↑ Shafeeq, Mohammed (18 October 2008). "India Aviation show proves a big hit". The Hindustan Times. Indo-Asian News Service. ProQuest 471446306.
  31. ↑ "Major airlines, officials give Hyderabad's Wings India aero show a miss". Mint. 10 March 2018. ProQuest 2012330275.
  32. ↑ "Hyderabad Airport". Airports Authority of India. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  33. ↑ "Accident Summary 1978". dgca.gov.in. Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2020.

External links[edit | edit source]

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