VIJAYAWADA: The Union Cabinet’s nod for grant of international airport status to the Gannavaram airport as per the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act-2014, has been welcomed by businessmen and industrialists of the capital region.
According to industrialists, it will pave way for operation of more international flights to various destinations in the world from the Gannavaram airport. It will also help improve the air connectivity to middle east countries. According to the airport officials, customs checking and immigration services will commence at Gannavaram airport soon with the accord of international airport status to it. The airport was renamed Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Amaravati International Airport in March.
Businessmen are of the view that it will help expand their business by exploring the overseas market for their products. Every year thousands of students from Krishna and Guntur districts will go to the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and other countries for higher studies. Apart from students, a large number of people from the State go on foreign tours every year.
At present, there are daily flight services from Gannavaram airport to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kadapa. With the provision of international airport status to the Gannavaram airport, the people who travel abroad frequently need not go to Hyderabad and Chennai to board international flights.
Major airlines are likely to introduce the international flight services from the Gannavaram airport to tap the air traffic potential of the coastal Andhra Pradesh in general and capital region in particular.
Speaking to Express, Gannavaram Airport Director G Madhusudhan Rao said: “The international airport status has been accorded based on the growth in passenger traffic. The economic growth of Andhra Pradesh is interlinked with the development of airports in the State.
There is a good air passenger traffic potential from East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts to the US, Singapore, Dubai and middle east countries. X-Ray baggage scanners will be installed at the airport soon. Security and surveillance systems will be set up at the old terminal. The international flight services from Gannavaram airport are likely to start within six months.”
“Transportation plays a vital role in the development of business. The State needs air connectivity to Middle Eastern and Asian countries. We are hoping that the international flight services will start from Gannavaram airport soon,” said Potluri Bhaskar Rao, secretary of AP Chamber of Commerce.