International air connectivity sought in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: Air travellers in the capital region of Amaravati and neighbouring districts are eagerly waiting for the international connectivity from Vijayawada Airport to destinations like Dubai and Singapore.

Due to lack of international connectivity, a large number of passengers are going to other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad to board flights to travel other countries. Nearly 5 lakh people from the coastal districts of Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari and Prakasam are living in foreign countries.

Passenger traffic has increased by 400 per cent in Vijayawada Airport after bifurcation of the state. The footfall in Vijayawada Airport increased from 2.30 lakh per year in 2014-15 to 11.92 lakh by 2018-19. Flight services have also increased to many parts of the country, particularly to metros except Kolkata. Vijayawada Airport has connectivity to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities.

Now, the passengers are asking the government to provide at least Hub and Spoke Model facility for the Air India services. Under the Hub and Spoke facility, the luggage of the passengers is checked out at the Vijayawada Airport by customs department. The passengers can pack the luggage in Vijayawada and get approval to board Air India flights in Delhi without re checking at the Delhi airport.

It will save a lot of time of the passengers. The Air India is operating two direct flights from Vijayawada to Delhi at 9.05 am (AI460) and 8.40 pm (AI468). It is reliably learnt that the Air India has expressed its consent to connect these flights to international destinations from Delhi on Hub and Spoke Model by completing the Immigration and Customs' checks at Vijayawada itself.

If the Union government gives permission to Air India, a large number of passengers, who travels to Gulf and Western countries can be benefitted. They can get their luggage checked at Vijayawada Airport and board the international flights immediately after reaching Delhi Airport.

The Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry Federation president K V S Prakasa Rao wrote to civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri requesting Hub and Spoke facility at Vijayawada Airport so that a large number of passengers can be benefitted.