New Vizag airport set for inauguration

Visakhapatnam Feb 12: Vizagites can breathe easy now. From the flood of misery to the flight of fancy, the new airport terminal is all set to change the face of the port city.
Sources said it would be a dream come true for the air travellers with the Rs 95-crore new modern airport terminal for night landing and the 24-hour operational facility all set for inauguration here on February 20. This, when the Vizagites’ chorus for making it an international airport has reached a crescendo.
Sources said for the new terminal, aerobridges were brought from Indonesia, conveyor belts from Portugal and the AC chiller plant from Malaysia. Some airlines have already shown interest to run direct international flights from Vizag to Singapore and Colombo. Airport director C Pattabhi told TOI that customs and immigration facilities would be in place once a decision about the international flights is taken.
As of now, 13 flights — half of them to Hyderabad — take off from Vizag every day. Experts said with about six lakh air passengers travelling from the city every year to various destinations, the demand for international airport looks a plausible option.
The Air Travellers Association of India, Vizag chapter, has already joined the race by demanding the extension of Mumbai-New York Air India flight to Vizag. “The flight could provide a direct link to Vizag and America,” ATAI Vizag chapter chief D Varada Reddy opined. He also favoured more domestic services to Visakhapatnam since the city is a major industrial hub.
Apart from the increase in the passenger traffic, handling of cargo has been another cause of worry for the airport. ONGC, Reliance and Essar Steel have been using the airport as base for their helicopters. Flooding, especially during the rainy season, of the runway and nearby complexes has been a major problem for the last couple of years.
(Source TOI)