VIJAYAWADA: After a Central team from Delhi and Hyderabad inspected Gannavaram Airport, the State Government has decided to introduce immigration services with direct flights from Amaravati to Singapore.
Infact, the immigration and customs desk were expected to be ready by this year. Due to delay in getting the international tag, the works got postponed. Officials cite X-ray baggage scanners, security and surveillance systems will be installed at the old terminal and operations for international services are expected to start by end January 2018.
“Once the immigration desk is installed, international operations will also take off. Traffic at Gannavaram airport has increased significantly in terms of passenger traffic growth. It has increased to 64 per cent. A majority of the NRIs hailing from AP are waiting for international flights to operate from here as they can directly take off from here instead of going to Hyderabad or Chennai,” said G Madhusudhan Rao, Airport director.
He further said that capital works are bringing in experts from different countries and that they are having a tough time to reach Amaravati. “The State government held talks with Singapore government and Singapore airlines, to operate services from Gannavaram airport to Singapore thrice a week,” he added.
B Varun Deep, an NRI businessman said, “It’s been three years since the bifurcation but sadly, if we have to go anywhere, we still have to go via Hyderabad. We wish Gannavaram airport handles international services as a majority of the youngsters from this region are settled abroad.”
Passenger Traffic at Gannavaram Airport
2.33L
in 2014-15
4 lakh
in 2015-16
6.50L
in 2016-17