Badangi Airstrip

The airstrip was a temporary military airfield built for wartime operations during World War II. It was abandoned by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) after the war concluded, as it was no longer strategically required. This was a common fate for many such Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) which were not converted for civilian use.

The site is currently abandoned and in a state of disuse. The original runway is still clearly visible from satellite imagery but is unmaintained, overgrown with vegetation, and deteriorating. There is no airport infrastructure such as a terminal, ATC tower, or hangars remaining. The government-owned land has reportedly faced issues with illegal soil excavation and encroachment over the years.

Badangi Airstrip was constructed during World War II as a strategic military asset. It served as an Advanced Landing Ground for the Allied forces, primarily the British RAF and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF). Its main purpose was to act as a forward airfield supporting the Burma Campaign against the Japanese. The airstrip would have handled fighter and transport aircraft, facilitating the movement of troops, supplies, and providing air support for ground operations. It was part of a network of similar airfields built across eastern India for the war effort.

There have been intermittent discussions and proposals to revive the airstrip. In the past decade, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) surveyed the site as a potential location for a no-frills, low-cost airport to improve regional connectivity for the Vizianagaram district. It was also considered under the Indian government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity scheme. However, these plans have not materialized, largely because the government's focus has shifted to the development of the major Greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport, located approximately 60 km south of Badangi. With the Bhogapuram project well underway, the prospects for reopening Badangi for commercial flights are currently considered very low.