ChallaAero Mechanics is developing the dormant Donakonda Airport in Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh, into the Donakonda Integrated Aviation Campus, a 446-acre site housing a DGCA Flight Training Academy, a CAR-145 Narrowbody MRO base, a Cargo Terminal and a Passenger Terminal. A coordinated public-private response to three structural deficits in Indian aviation: pilots, maintenance capacity, and regional connectivity.
Donakonda Airport (ICAO: VODK) was constructed by the British in 1934 as a WWII logistics and fighter strip. After limited civilian use until 1985, the airfield fell into disuse under Airports Authority of India custody. In June 2024, the Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh directed its revival as a domestic airport and aviation training centre. ChallaAero Mechanics has been appointed promoter and developer.
The Donakonda Integrated Aviation Campus is a brownfield revival on the dormant VODK airfield, designed from the ground up as a dual-purpose facility. A DGCA-approved Flight Training Academy and a CAR-145 approved Narrowbody MRO Facility share a common airside, navigation, and utility infrastructure, with a passenger terminal and cargo terminal completing the integrated platform.
The project is executed by two wholly-owned Special Purpose Vehicles: DIAC Flight Training Academy (P) Ltd and DIAC MRO Services (P) Ltd. Phase I will be delivered on the existing 136.35-acre AAI parcel plus 310 acres under LARR acquisition. Total committed promoter equity stands at ₹264.6 Crore against a Phase I cost of ₹793 Crore, with a 38:50:12 equity-debt-VGF structure.
The campus is engineered to address three nationally identified deficits with a single integrated investment: India's pilot shortage of 400 to 900 CPL holders per year, the 80 to 85% offshore leakage in MRO spend currently flowing to Singapore, Sri Lanka and the UAE, and the absence of any civilian aerodrome serving the 3.5 million residents of Prakasam district.
The campus is purpose-built around four co-located, mutually reinforcing operations. Shared airside, navigation and utility infrastructure saves an estimated ₹55 Crore versus building four independent facilities, and unlocks training-to-employment pathways that no standalone facility can offer.
The Donakonda Flight Training Academy is a DGCA-approved Flying Training Organisation offering nine regulated programmes including PPL, CPL ab-initio, Instrument Rating, Multi-Engine Endorsement, Type Rating Prep for A320 and B737, MCC plus JOC, Drone RPC, B.Sc. Aviation and AME Licence B1 and B2.
The Donakonda MRO Facility is a CAR-145 approved base maintenance organisation for Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737 NG/MAX. Phase I delivers four narrowbody hangar bays across 24,000 m², expanding to six bays plus a full-aircraft paint shop in Phase II. Targeting EASA Part-145 by Year 3–5.
A single-storey domestic passenger terminal of 3,500 m² delivers 500 Peak Hour Passenger Capacity in Phase I, designed for ATR-72 and Q400 commercial operations under UDAN. Includes check-in, security screening, departure lounge, one aerobridge and 200-bay car park. Daily catchment forecast: 350 to 500 passengers by 2030 across Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, Bengaluru, Tirupati.
A 500 m² cargo terminal with two dedicated cargo stands and cool-chain storage opens regional air freight to Prakasam's growing pharmaceutical, aquaculture, textile and trading sectors. Direct integration with the Donakonda railway station on the Chennai-Mumbai main line and NH-65 within 30 km creates a multimodal logistics platform with no equivalent within an 80 km radius.
The complete campus layout shows the FTA cluster on the western infield, the MRO hangar complex centrally located with apron access, and the passenger and cargo terminals on the north-eastern landside. Click any zone in the interactive plan below for detailed area, capacity and phase data. A full-screen version is available in a new tab.
2,300 m × 45 m · PCN 55 · LED HIRL · CAT-I ILS
Academic + Hostel + FTA Hangar · 21,100 m²
4 Bays Phase I · 24,000 m² · 8 NB Stands
500 PHPC · 3,500 m² · 1 Aerobridge
500 m² · 2 Cargo Stands · Cool Chain
35 m AGL · CAT I · Full Manoeuvring View
ICAO Cat 4 · AVGAS + Jet A-1 + MOGAS
VOR/DME · ILS RWY 27 CAT-I · PAPI
A staged build maximises capital efficiency. Phase I delivers a fully operational dual-stream campus on the existing AAI parcel. Phase II scales MRO capacity to six hangar bays with a paint shop. Phase III expands the passenger terminal and runway capacity to meet ATR-72 commercial demand under UDAN.
Full 2,300 m runway rehabilitation to PCN 55, 4-bay narrowbody MRO hangar complex, FTA academic block, 600-bed hostel and FTA hangar, 500 PHPC passenger terminal, cargo terminal, VOR/DME, ILS CAT-I, ATC tower, ICAO Category 4 CFR station and all shared utilities. First FTA cadet intake at Month 28 to 30; first MRO A-check operations at Month 30.
MRO hangar bays 5 and 6 commissioned, taking total capacity to six narrowbody bays plus a 2,100 m² water-based full-aircraft paint shop. Landing-gear overhaul shop, AME training block, additional FTA fleet and hostel capacity. EASA Part-145 pre-application initiated. Composite repair autoclave expansion.
Domestic terminal expansion to support increased UDAN traffic on the Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, Bengaluru and Tirupati corridors. Additional cargo capacity, runway overlay cycle, and Phase III MRO expansion. Daily commercial passenger demand forecast to reach 663 by 2035 across six route segments.
Shared infrastructure economics, dual revenue streams from training and maintenance, and dollar-denominated MRO contracts compound into superior returns. The financial model has been independently validated for technical, commercial and environmental viability.
The campus is engineered to address three structural challenges identified in India's civil aviation sector: a chronic pilot shortage, heavy offshore leakage of MRO spend, and the absence of regional aviation infrastructure in central Andhra Pradesh.
India faces a structural deficit of 400 to 900 CPL holders per year against growing airline demand. DFTA contributes 180 CPL cadets annually at steady state, directly into the national pilot supply pipeline.
80 to 85% of India's USD 2.8B MRO spend leaks offshore to Singapore, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the UAE. With Zero GST on MRO since 2021, DMRO repatriates 60 C-checks and 500 A-checks per year from offshore providers.
Prakasam district has no civilian aerodrome within 80 km. The campus serves 3.5 million residents and unlocks UDAN connectivity to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, Bengaluru and Tirupati for the region's pharma, aquaculture and trade economy.
Direct jobs at steady state (Year 5): 204 in FTA and 429 in MRO. Combined with a 1.5× indirect multiplier, total employment reaches 1,583 by Year 5 and 1,718 by Year 10. Annual wage bill of ₹120.5 Crore at steady state.
2 MW rooftop and ground-mount solar from Day 1 targets 40% of base campus load from renewables. Zero liquid discharge on MRO effluent, full STP/ETP treatment, rainwater harvesting, drip-only landscape irrigation.
DGCA CAR Section 7 Series I Part XII (FTO), CAR-145 (MRO), CAR-M (Continuing Airworthiness), CAR-147 (AME Training), ICAO Annex 14, BCAS Aerodrome Security, EIA Category 7(a), LARR Act 2013 and EASA Part-145 pathway.
Donakonda sits on the Eastern Deccan Plateau in Prakasam district, with direct rail access on the Chennai-Mumbai main line, NH-65 within 30 km, and no controlled airspace conflicts within 100 km. Outside the TMAs of Hyderabad, Chennai and Vijayawada.
Chennai - Mumbai main line
Hyderabad - Nellore corridor
District headquarters
VGA · Nearest commercial
HYD · Nearest international
Eastern coastline
The project is structured as a Public-Private Partnership with binding commitments across central regulatory authorities, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, and the project promoter.
Incorporated under the Companies Act 2013. Sole promoter, developer and proposed operator of the Donakonda Integrated Aviation Campus. Operates through two wholly-owned SPVs: DIAC Flight Training Academy (P) Ltd and DIAC MRO Services (P) Ltd.
Project initiated in June 2024 by the Honourable Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as part of the State Civil Aviation Policy to expand regional connectivity and position AP as a hub of aviation infrastructure and investment.
Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Ltd. Coordinating the land transfer from AAI, the LARR acquisition of 310 additional acres, and the 30-year developable lease structure for the 446-acre campus.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Issuing authority for the FTO Certificate (CAR Section 7), the CAR-145 base maintenance approval, CAR-M continuing airworthiness, aerodrome licence, and BCAS security clearance.
Central government endorsement under the UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme. Potential viability gap funding through the MoCA grant framework and Sagarmala alignment for cargo connectivity.
Custodian of the existing 136.35-acre Donakonda airfield site since 1985. Land transfer to APADCL in progress under the AAI Act 1994 framework. AIP publication and NOTAM coordination through Chennai FIR.
We welcome enquiries from government agencies, airline operators evaluating MRO anchor partnerships, financial institutions, equipment OEMs, and aviation professionals interested in joining the team. The Pre-Feasibility Report is available on request to qualified stakeholders.