VIJAYAWADA: The launch of international flights from Vijayawada to Singapore, which was scheduled for October 25, has been postponed to December 4. Tickets can be booked for the flights from October 26 onwards.
Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADCL) gave the tender to operate flights between Vijayawada and Singapore to Indigo Airlines.
The bi-weekly flights will be operated with the help of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the State government. Indigo will deploy a 180-seater Airbus A320 on the route, an official communication said. The disagreement between Department of Customs and Airport Authority of India (AAI) on expenditure and setting up of custom operations, is said to be the reason behind the delay in the launch.
Regulatory approvals, which airline operators required well in advance in order to schedule the flights, were given only a few days before the first international flight.
Moreover, the schedule had to made keeping in mind the shift that takes place from summers to winters, on October 27.
The coming of approvals during the last hour also contributed to the delay. The first international flight between Vijayawada and Singapore is scheduled for December 4 and the tickets for the same can be bought from October 26.