Warangal is Telangana’s second-largest city — a historic Kakatiya dynasty capital whose thousand-year-old fort and the Thousand Pillar Temple represent one of South India’s most significant medieval heritage sites. The Ramappa Temple, approximately 70 km away, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Warangal is also an emerging technology and education hub, home to NIT Warangal and a growing manufacturing sector. It has lacked commercial aviation since 1981, when the Mamnoor airstrip — originally built by the last Nizam of Hyderabad in 1930 to serve the city’s textile mills — was closed. Warangal Airport (also known as Mamnoor Airport) carries IATA code WGC and ICAO code VOWA. It is currently non-operational and in the pre-construction stage of a UDAN scheme redevelopment that received central government approval on 28 February 2025, with the Telangana government sanctioning ₹205 crore in July 2025 for land acquisition. The planned airport will handle A320-class aircraft and is targeted to open by 2030.
Quick Overview: Warangal Airport
| Detail | Information |
| Official Name | Warangal Airport (also: Mamnoor Airport) |
| Location | Mamnoor, Warangal, Telangana, India |
| Airport Type | Public — Non-operational (under UDAN redevelopment) |
| IATA Code | WGC |
| ICAO Code | VOWA |
| Owner/Operator | Airports Authority of India (AAI) |
| Originally Built | 1930 (by Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan) |
| Closed | 1981 |
| UDAN Central Approval | 28 February 2025 (with 150 km exclusivity waiver from RGIA) |
| Telangana ₹205 Crore Sanction | July 2025 (land acquisition for runway extension) |
| Land Allocated | 253 acres |
| Aircraft Capability (Planned) | Airbus A320 class |
| Runway Designation | 09/27 (existing) |
| Elevation | 285 m / 935 ft AMSL |
| Coordinates | 17°55′00″N, 79°36′00″E |
| Current Status | Pre-construction and tendering phase (as of July 2026) |
| Projected Opening | 2030 |
| Nearest Weather Station | Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad (~131 km) |
| Flight Information Region | Chennai FIR |
| Scheduled Commercial Flights | None |
| Nearest Commercial Airport | Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad (HYD, ~140 km) |
Warangal Airport Location: The Kakatiya City’s Northern Fringe
Warangal Airport is located at Mamnoor, approximately 5 to 7 km from Warangal city centre. The coordinates are 17°55′00″N, 79°36′00″E, at an elevation of 285 metres above sea level — the Deccan plateau terrain of northern Telangana. The original Mamnoor airstrip was one of several built by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, in the 1930s to serve the Nizam’s industrial interests — in Warangal’s case, the Azam Jahi cotton textile mills.
The airport’s UDAN development required a critical regulatory concession: Warangal is within 150 km of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, which has a standard exclusivity clause restricting commercial aviation competition within that radius. The central government approved a waiver of this restriction specifically for Warangal on 28 February 2025 — a recognition of the city’s scale, its decades-long aviation deprivation, and its status as Telangana’s second city.
Warangal Fort (Kakatiya capital, approximately 7 km), Thousand Pillar Temple (approximately 5 km), and Ramappa Temple (UNESCO, approximately 70 km) make the airport an important future tourism gateway for central Telangana.
Code, Terminal and Development Status
IATA WGC and ICAO VOWA are formally assigned. The airport is in the pre-construction and tendering stage as of July 2026 — AAI had not yet officially appointed an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractor. The 253-acre allocated development area includes the existing Mamnoor site plus adjacent land. The runway will be extended to accommodate A320-class narrow-body jets. A new passenger terminal, ATC tower, apron, taxiway, and associated infrastructure will be built from the tendering process outcome. Once operational, Warangal will become Telangana’s second commercial airport.
Connectivity and Amenities
By Air: No scheduled flights. RGIA Hyderabad (HYD) at ~140 km is the nearest commercial airport.
By Road: Warangal city is well-connected via NH-163 to Hyderabad (140 km, ~2.5 hours) and NH-163 to Vijayawada (approximately 180 km).
By Rail: Kazipet Junction (4 km from Warangal city) is a major South Central Railway junction with trains to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Chennai, and Delhi.
No public passenger amenities exist at the current dormant site.
FAQs: Warangal Airport
Q1. What is the IATA code for Warangal Airport?
WGC is the IATA code and VOWA is the ICAO code. The airport is at Mamnoor, Warangal, Telangana, non-operational and under UDAN redevelopment.
Q2. When will Warangal Airport reopen?
The airport is targeted to reopen by 2030. Central approval came February 2025, Telangana sanctioned ₹205 crore in July 2025 for land acquisition. As of July 2026, the project was in pre-construction and tendering.
Q3. Who built Warangal Airport originally?
Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, built the Mamnoor airstrip in 1930 to serve Warangal’s textile mills including the Azam Jahi Mills.
Q4. Why was a RGIA exclusivity waiver needed for Warangal?
Warangal is within the 150 km exclusivity zone of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, which restricts commercial aviation within that radius. The central government granted a special waiver on 28 February 2025 for Warangal given its status as Telangana’s second-largest city.
Q5. What aircraft will Warangal Airport handle?
The redeveloped airport is planned to handle Airbus A320 class narrow-body jet aircraft — enabling full-service domestic connectivity rather than smaller turboprop-only operations.
