VIJAYAWADA: The number of air passengers from the State has witnessed a growth of around 44 per cent from April to November this year. While the number of total air passengers stood at 16.91 lakh during the corresponding period last year, it swelled to 24.28 lakh during the same time period.
Interestingly, the passenger traffic growth stood at only 19 per cent between April and October this year. Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada witnessed 76 per cent passenger growth with industrialists and eminent persons from different parts of the country as well as abroad coming to Amaravati.
While Tirupati airport registered a growth of 43 per cent, Visakhapatnam recorded 39 per cent and Rajahmundry airport witnessed a growth of 21 per cent. The number of passengers to the newly-inaugurated Kadapa airport stood at 65,444.
As part of improving infrastructure, the State government is also concentrating on development of airports and even decided to set up an Airports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to develop aviation sector in the State under Public Private Partnership mode.