Early completion of Vizag airport runway to attract more airlines

Visakhapatnam: With the Indian Navy successfully completing resurfacing work of the runway at the Visakhapatnam International Airport, more domestic and international airlines are expected in the near future.

There has been an overwhelming response to the opening of bookings for direct flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur till May-end. While Thai Air Asia is introducing direct flight from Visakhapatnam to Bangkok from April 9, Air Asia Malaysia is launching a new service to Kuala Lumpur from the city on April 26. There was an overwhelming response for early bird offers due to visa free facilities available for Indian tourists.

Thai Air Asia flights to Thailand from the city will land at Don Mueang International Airport, earlier known as Bangkok International Airport. Visa for tourists to Thailand is available till May 10. For tourists to Malaysia visa fee is waived off till December 31.Visakhapatnam already has a direct flight to Singapore by Scoot, a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA). Scoot is also offering special offers for long-haul destinations like Sydney and captivating destinations like Bangkok, Denpasar, Incheon, Perth and Melbourne with a connecting flight from Singapore.

“We expect that going by the response from tourists from India, Thailand may extend the visa waiver facility further as part of its resolve to boost revenue from tourism,” K Vijay Mohan, president, Tours and Travel Association of Andhra (TTAA) said. He told Bizz Buzz that they are expecting new flight connectivity to Vietnam and other destinations due to huge potential. He said they are in talks with the government to explore developing a Buddhist circuit and promoting ‘shakti peethas’ across Andhra Pradesh. This would attract tourists from South East Asia to various parts of the State, he remarked.

Andhra Pradesh Air Travellers Association vice president O Naresh Kumar said on early completion of resurfacing work “this will help in improving connectivity both national and international. It will also lead to a reduction in cost of operations.” Announcing the completion of the resurfacing work ahead of schedule, which led to curtailing of operation of flights at night-time, the Navy stated that they have already obtained clearances for its commercial operation. “Following the completion of the crucial fourth layer of resurfacing, the runway inspection agency has cleared the runway for usage and has lauded the quality and efficiency of the work executed. The Headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command (HQENC) proudly announces that the runway at Visakhapatnam will resume round-the-clock operations starting from April 1, 2024, in perfect alignment with the summer schedule,” the Navy stated in a communique.

The ENC said the achievement not only highlights the Indian Navy’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of operational readiness but also its commitment to serving the nation and its citizens.