Recently indigo has announced plans to introduce four new flights from Visakhapatnam in and October. Starting September 21, Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad flight will depart at 9:00 am. From October 27, a new flight from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada will operate daily at 9:15 am, along with another flight from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad at 1:30 pm. Additionally, a thrice-weekly service between Visakhapatnam and Ahmedabad will also commence on October 27.
Visakhapatnam Airport is located 7Km from the city center this airport is the second busiest in Andhra Pradesh and runs domestic services to the major Indian cities such as Delhi (Air India), Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai (Jet Airways) and Bangalore and Pune (Kingfisher Airlines). Vizag is the short name for Visakhapatnam which is named after local goddess Vaisakhi. This Includes 20 check-in counters, duty free shops, customs and immigration counters, snack bars, child care centers, and special lounges for VIPs and CIP.
Vizag airport is ranked 13 among India Airports as per AAI. The airport currently functions only between 8 am and 8 pm only. Vizag airport handles 12 domestic services to cater to the needs of north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring districts of Orissa and some parts of Chhattisgarh. The port city, which has a population of twenty lakh, has been growing rapidly with the influx of IT and industrial honchos setting up shops here. Nearly 7 lakh passengers fly in and fly out of the Vizag airport every year.
Visakhapatnam: With the air cargo export potential from Visakhapatnam estimated at more than Rs400 crore per annum and the passengers preferring to go to distant international destinations enroute Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad for ‘user-friendly’ arrival and departure timings, the demand for declaring Visakhapatnam International Airport as an open sky airport is turning louder
Cargo Export at Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam Airport has the potential for increased air cargo exports, and the airport is working towards this goal in number of ways:
International cargo operations
The airport is in talks with APSTC to handle international cargo operations. Once the agreement is signed, it may take a couple of months for APSTC to launch the services.
Cargo handling
The airport has seen a surge in cargo handling in recent years. In the first quarter of a financial year, the airport saw a 747% increase in international cargo.
Pharmaceutical exports
Some pharmaceutical companies have started exporting and importing pharmaceutical products through the airport, saving time and fuel.
Exports from the region
The airport has the potential to tap into exports of textiles, jewellery, and seafood from the region. )
Air cargo contract
The airport has an air cargo contract in place, which will allow all airlines to use the region’s air cargo potential.
Domestic airlines
The airport is served by several domestic airlines, including Air Asia, Air India, Spicejet, and India One Air.
International airline
Scoot Airlines is the only international airline that currently operates from the airport, flying to Singapore.
According the Andhra Pradesh Air Travelers‘ Association (APATA)
Vice-President, Naresh Kumar, ongoing discussions are underway with various operators to further enhance Visakhapatnam’s air connectivity. Representatives from APATA, including Naresh Kumar, K Kumar Raja, and D S Varma, met with Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu during his visit to the Visakhapatnam airport for the inauguration of the Digi Yatra facility on September 6. They presented a memorandum, requesting the revival of SpiceJet and Akasa flights at Visakhapatnam Airport, noting their past success.
They also said there is a highly possible to launch a direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Dubai, either via Air India Express or by allocating bilateral slots to airlines like Emirates or Flydubai. Additionally they had a idea to work on offering incentives for overnight parking at Andhra Pradesh airports to help late arrivals and early morning departures.
Araku Coffee outlets at Airports across India.
In a personal appeal, APATA urged the minister to promote Araku Coffee by establishing outlets at airports across India. The move would help boost the award-winning brand and support the tribal coffee farmers of Araku.
Digi Yatra system.
Meanwhile, new services have been introduced at Visakhapatnam Airport. Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu recently launched the Digi Yatra system, which enables passengers to enter the airport using facial recognition technology. The app, already utilized by three crore air travelers, simplifies airport entry.
