VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada International Airport added another link to its air network on Thursday with IndiGo launching a new service connecting Vijayawada with Varanasi and Kolkata. The new service, which began operations on August 13, will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday every week.
The launch was marked by an inaugural ceremony at the airport, attended virtually by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry. Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao attended the event in person and presented the first boarding passes to passengers.
The Varanasi connection brings the two prominent pilgrimage destinations of Kashi and Vijayawada’s Kanaka Durga temple closer by air, with the speakers at the event highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the new link. Naidu said the Centre was working to boost Vijayawada’s connectivity, with flights to Pune, Ahmedabad and Cochin also expected to be added.
He also announced plans for a hub-and-spoke model, through which passengers could complete customs and immigration formalities at Vijayawada before connecting to international destinations through major hub airports. Naidu said work on the new integrated terminal building would be expedited and that the facility would reflect the art and culture of the region.
The Minister also spoke of proposed seaplane operations from Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam, Hussain Sagar and Nagarjuna Sagar.
The inaugural service recorded strong passenger movement, with 89 passengers arriving in Vijayawada from Varanasi and 129 passengers travelling from Vijayawada to Varanasi. Chinni sought a Cochin service to cater to Sabarimala pilgrims, while Balashowry and Yarlagadda Venkata Rao urged the Centre to expedite flights to Dubai, further expanding Vijayawada’s international connectivity.