Top priority to Vijayawada airport: Ram Mohan
Civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu along with Machilipatnam MP V Balashowri, excise minister Kollu Ravindra and others launches Vijayawada-New Delhi IndiGo service on Saturday
Vijayawada: Civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said Vijayawada international airport new terminal building construction works will be completed in one year and some more domestic and international flight services will be started from the airport.
He, along with prohibition and excise minister Kollu Ravindra, Parliament members and Gannavaram MLA inaugurated Vijayawada-Delhi IndiGo flight services on Saturday at Gannavaram and addressed the gathering. The minister also inaugurated the approach road from national highway to international terminal.
The Union minister said that he was giving priority to the development of Vijayawada airport after he assumed charge as the civil aviation minister. “Vijayawada airport will be developed as per the instructions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu so that Andhra Pradesh will be developed with the air connectivity to various places in the country and abroad. Four new services have been launched from Vijayawada airport after the NDA government was formed three months ago in the state. Two services were launched to Mumbai, one to Bengaluru and one service to Delhi,” he said.
The minister said efforts were on to operate services from Vijayawada to Dubai and Singapore and it will be beneficial to a large number of flight passengers.
He said average footfall of flight passengers increased to one lakh within three months of the NDA government coming to power in the state as against the 85,000 per month under the YSRCP rule. He said Vijayawada airport will be used as a centre to connect to various destinations and to attract the investments to the state.
Ram Mohan Naidu said under Narendra Modi government, the total number of airports has increased to 157 in the country from 74 in 2014.
Excise minister Kollu Ravindra said Vijayawada airport development works started after P Ashok Gajapathi Raju became the civil aviation minister and flight services to Vijayawada have increased to 159 after NDA came to power.
He said flight services decreased from 32 to 24 in the YSRCP rule. New international terminal building works would be completed by next year. Machilipatnam MP V Balashowri, Mysore King and MP Yaduveer Vadiyar, Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao and others participated in the flight inauguration services.